Helpless
by Devilslawyer123
Summary: FIN :What if Bella had a bad girl reputation in Phoenix and moved to Forks as a punishment? And what if Edward was the new kid in school, too?They meet and they instantly dislike eachother, but maybe this changes when Bella finds out what Edward really is
1. Chapter 1

**Yay! I just found out you can write for twilight, so this is my 1****st**** fanfic for it. Um, I decided to make Bella a bit of the bad reputation girl. Be kind and review!!! )**

**HELPLESS.**

CHAPTER1.

_**BELLA'S POV**_

I drove my red Chevy truck through the school gates. I loved it. Um, the truck I mean, not the school. The school looked like a series of houses stuck together with big numbers painted in black on white squares. My truck was beautiful. Red and made from that material that is indestructible. You know, the ones you see on a motorway crash, the painting intact and the remnants of the other poor guys car in pieces scattered all over the place. It made a _really _loud noise, though, when you start it up.

The car park was nearly full with loads of other crappy looking cars, except for a flashy Porsche parked next to an old Volvo.

Where I'm from - Phoenix - it's natural to see a new Porsche in the parking lot, but here in this school, the car looked out of place.

"um, excuse me? I'm-"

"You're Chief Swans daughter. Isabella, right?" the receptionist had cut me off, in a way that insinuated that I was, like, the long lost daughter. Which I probably was.

"Um, actually I like to be called Bella?"

"OK. Bella. This is a map of the school and- Oh no. what have you done now Mr.Cullen?" I turned around to see a bulk of muscles standing in the doorway, a man in a black suit and umbrella stood behind him, an expression of thunder clouding his face.

"Um, how about nothing?" the boy sat down, his chin propped on his hand. The receptionist sighed, and finished highlighting the quicker roots to my class rooms,

"I thought you were supposed to be helping your brother around today?"

"Oh. Yeah, well he'll be able to get around easily. This isn't a massive school, ma'am." he said 'ma'am' with a heavy load of sarcasm. I smile at the receptionist and make my way out of the double doors. To come nose to nose with somebody else. Or maybe nose to chest. I look up to see a guy my age staring down at me with a small amount of confusion and a large amount of irritation, in his eyes. His brown-red hair was wet and dripping down his face.

"Sorry!" I snap and move out of the way, into the pouring rain. From inside, I heard the exclamation, "Ed, my man!" from the boy with the big muscles and a, "Keep quiet, Emmett!" from the man in the suit. I rushed across the parking lot, water running down my face. My map said room 3, I found it in no time and rushed in.

Everybody stared at the new girl,

"What? Never seen someone from Phoenix before?" I was already in a bad mood, and I had no intention of getting stared at. They took the hint and started chatting away. _cowards._ I thought as I slumped down in my seat. The desks were cheap and their were marks made in the wood by a penknife. I smiled. At least this hadn't change from my old school.

"Quiet everybody! Now, we have a new student . . ." I groaned. _No please don't make me stand in front of everyone! _

"Ah. No actually we have two new students here today. Um, Edward Cullen, and Isabella Swan. Would you like to come at the front, please?"

"It's BELLA." I snap then I think, _Oh no. that's me. Oh god._ I thought about saying, _Um, how about NO?_ like that boy had said, Emmett Cullen. Edward was already standing at the front, whispering urgently at the teacher. By the old mans face clouded it wasn't good.

"Bella! Can you please come at the front?" I stood up, the chain on my black baggy jeans banging against the table. Walking to the front, I kept my head high and my eyes fixed on the teacher. Standing directly in front of the teacher, I smiled my best _don't mess with me _smile. The old man just smiled back and said, "now class. Bella will tell you where she came from and her life before coming here." I took my place at the front and stared at everyone in the eye.

"I'm Bella Swan, and my mother sent me here as a punishment for some _very bad things_ I did back in phoenix." I walked back to my place at the far end of the class, and settled in my seat while the rest of the kids gawped at me.

Next was the Cullen kid.

"You know my brothers and sisters, so you know not to mess with me." when he said the last bit, he looked straights at me, his eyes boring holes in mine. My lip curled in a silent snarl; this kid hardly knew me and he was already issuing a warning? Well, if he thought I would take it calmly like the rest of the losers sitting in that class, he had another one coming.


	2. Chapter 2

HELPLESS

**CHAPTER 2**

"Ah, I see you remembered us rich kids, huh?" Josh's voice rang with sarcasm as I plucked up the courage to phone him. He was my supposedly _best friend_ back in Phoenix.

"Hey, you're supposed to be the one calling _me _and asking sorry. Not vice versa."  
"So you're calling to say sorry?"

"No." I sat at a table in the cafeteria and made myself comfortable - aka. Feet on the neighbouring chair, and bag in the middle of the table, so nobody came to sit next to me. Not even Mike Newton who thought himself my bodyguard since English. Yeah right.

"So what are you calling for?" His voice had that irritated edge that came every time I didn't do what he wanted. I smiled and replied sarcastically,

"Ooh. I thought you were my best friend? And anyway, I called because I wanted to tell you about how boring and plain this place is." He laughed on the other end. I looked around and saw to my dismay that the Cullen's were seated at the table next to mine. Crap. Grimacing I started talking to Josh again, answering all of his questions as moodily and made it sound as boring as possible.

Josh sighed at the other end and said, "Uh-oh. Red alert." red alert was our code name for Robert Newberry. The guy who had ruined my life with a simple kiss.

No joke.

"OK. Look I'll call you later. Beat him up for me and then tell me all the gory details, OK?" Josh laughed and replied quickly, "Course I will, girl. I'll call you tonight. See ya girlfriend!" Josh was the typical heart breaker back at my old high school. He had a trail of weeping girls behind him, and who was the one that had to clean up his messes? ME.

He loved going for the girls whose boyfriends were Jocks, kiss 'em do whatever he wanted with them then break their hearts like they were made of rocks. The girlfriends would go crying to their Jock boyfriends and they'll try to kick Josh's sorry ass. But he usually got their first.

So, he was the school heart breaker and no-go for bullies. He dressed all in black and usually had one or two chains dangling from his belt. you don't want to know what he used them for.

I ran my hand through my now dry hair and looked around. The cafeteria was grimier than the class rooms. Formica tables were lined in neat lines with plastic stools. Their was a line for the hot food stand and a line for the cold food stand which was mostly empty.

The chair in front of me was pulled away, and Mike Newton sat himself in front of me, a silly grin on his face which I wiped off with a scowl, "Whaddya want?"

"Er, well . . . I was thinking, maybe you would like to come to the dance with me?" I nearly choked on my diet coke there and then.

"_What_?" I hissed. My eyes were full of anger and dismay, I mean, come on! The guy hardly knew me and he was already asking me to the fricking dance?

"The dance. Will you come with me?" he said this slowly like I was stupid or something.

"I Don't Dance." I think I'm the only one here who can say words that sound like they have capitals in front of 'em. Mike looked taken aback and he said a bit clearer now, "Well, sorry. I thought you know, that being the new kid was tough and that you might want to go somewhere with some mates . . ." He trailed off as he saw my expression. It was my sweetest/ dangerous smile that freaked loads of people out.

"Mike, this isn't the first time I've moved school. It's the first time though, that I moved school and changed city. So don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. And my mates from Phoenix will be coming down that day, so I'll be super busy." he looked like he was about to say something else, but I stopped him by standing up and picking up my things.

I swear he was shaking his head when I left, and as I passed the Cullen's table, they all stared at me like I cam from outer space.

Whatever.


	3. Chapter 3

HELPLESS

**CHAPTER 3**

_**EDWARDS POV**_

I saw her and I fell for her heads over heels. Only I couldn't. I'm not aloud, because just the nice smell of a human being is like the smell of blood for sharks.

And that's what we are. Sharks. And Bella was the blood. I guess that's not the best way to put it because Bella is way more alluring than _blood._ so I'll put it this way. We are the bees and she is the honey.

God, I must be confusing you something crazy, right?

Well, we're what the humans call in a cruel way the '_blood -sucking leeches_' or very shortly _vampires_. Nobody in the school knows what we are - we is Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper - but some people have their suspicions. Why don't we come to school on sunny days? Why do we like to go camping in forests when the grizzlies are around? Why don't we hang around with the _normal kids_? Only my father Dr.Cullen doesn't think we are abnormal because we don't hang around with other kids.

Because he is one of us. Because he is the man who did this to us.

And yes, he is a doctor and not a mad scientist.

Anyway, Bella was nothing like the other girls in school. She looked and sounded dangerous. She acted like she was dangerous, and when she was on the phone to that Josh guy, she sounded like everybody was under her control back in Phoenix. And maybe she was. I was so bloody jealous of whoever that Josh was because he could be whatever he wanted with her. Right now I'm pretty sure they're just mates, but I still wanted to beat the crap outta him if he does come down to Forks and it wasn't just a lie Bella had made up to get Mike Newton out of her way.

Being a vampire has it's advantages. We can listen in on phone calls without being noticed, we can follow people and not be noticed and we can be in the same room as some people and become invisible.

So I tried to ignore her and pretend she was the most annoying person on planet earth.

Oh, it wasn't that difficult because she did the exact same thing. She acted like I was the last person she wanted to see, even though we only met this morning. In a really bad way, but still . . .

Enough with my ranting.

Biology next. Great.

"Bella, you can sit next to Edward Cullen." No. Way. I moved my chair so to be as far away from her as possible. The smell of her - oranges and lemons - was overpowering. I just wanted to . . . Bite her. Which was WRONG.

W.R.O.N.G. I couldn't bite her, or she'll go through the pain that I suffered, and that was the last thing I wanted for her.

She sat down next to me with a sigh, "Hi." she said grumpily. I nodded my head and looked away, out of the window, my hands clenched on my legs.

"Look, I know that you don't like me, so let's do something. We only talk to each other when we need help in this boring class, OK?" I looked at her, her smell grabbing my blood-thirst senses and pulling.

"OK." I croaked. Then the inevitable happened.

"OK, class. Make a small cut on your finger and let the blood seep out so you can put it on this paper." we were testing for blood groups.

Bella stood up quickly, and stepped away from the table, a look of sickness passed over her face, "You OK?" I asked. The blood thirst senses in me were going full bell ring now. My hand shot up and grabbed her before she fell, "SIR! Bella feels sick." _and so do I_, I wanted to add.

"Oh dear. Take her to the nurse. I don't want her to throw up." Mike Newton got up and said, "I'll do it, sir."

"No Mike. I'll do it. I don't feel too good myself." I stood up and helped her to her feet. Bella lost her balance and nearly collapsed on the floor if I hadn't put my arm quickly around her shoulders.

"Then Mike can come with both of you. What if the two of you faint? I don't want that." So Mike came with us.

And made my life hell all the way.

"So Bells. Who are these friends of yours that are coming down from phoenix?" Mike asked, an arm around her shoulders with the excuse of her being out of balance. I held my stomach with my hand and concentrated on not lunging at her.

"Um, Isaac Grey, Josh Whiley, Adam Lay , Paul West and Jesse Rox." I sensed from her that she wanted him to go away. Vampires can do that. Read peoples minds and them not noticing. But I couldn't invade Bella's so I satisfied myself on her desire of Mike leaving. Mike seemed disappointed that their would be no girls in her small group of friends.

"Oh. So, are they all from Phoenix? Originally I mean."

"No. Jesse is from Spain, Paul is from Portugal, Adam is from New York and Josh is from Greece." Wow. Culture studies much? Ok, that was mean. Mike asked, "How long have you been mates with 'em?"

"six years"

"Wow. Do they have any sisters?" Bella looked at him like he was nuts. Which he probably was, asking all of these questions. And he made us take the longer route so he could question Bella more.

"Yes and No." she answered.

"Huh?"

"Well, Jesse has a sister who is dead to him. Paul has a sister who is anything but a sister, Adam has a brother, Isaac has seven sisters and two brothers who live in Italy, where he's from."

"Oh."

"Finished with the questioning?" I asked angrily. God, he could be such a loser sometimes, and the thing I hated the most was people sticking their noses in the people I care about business. He looked at me with hatred in his eyes and muttered a simple 'yes'. Finally, we arrived at the nurses room and we sat ourselves in the hard plastic seats. I sat opposite Bella, while Mike sat next her his arm still round her shoulders. The nurse asked us both what was wrong and we both replied, "Blood", she then asked Mike to leave, but he made this stupid excuse of having to stay with us.

Then Bella spoke to me and the rest of the world faded away.

She is so bloody gorgeous.


	4. Chapter 4

HELPLESS

**CHAPTER 4**

Talking to_ him _was like talking to a God. Apart from the startled expression and the moment when he didn't answer. When he did this, Mike snickered and I felt like punching the smirk off his sweet face. Respect much?

"So, do you feel ill at the sight of blood?" I asked.

"If it isn't my own, then yes, I do."

"do you feel ill at the sight of animal blood?" Mike asked. Edward glared and stood up. Mike shrunk against his chair, as Edward walked past him.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" I asked him. Mike shrugged and lent back against the wall, a satisfied smile on his face.

I had this terrible itch to slap it away.

"You don't even know him!"

"I know his brother, Emmett, and that's enough." the bell rang and I jumped to my feet, sweeping out of the room. Mike hurried after me murmuring, "Bella, please, I am so sorry."  
"Stay away from me." I growled and headed to my truck, rain making it impossible to keep my hair dry.Mike, of course, didn't take the hint that I was so pissed off at him.

"Bella! Come on! You can't be _mad _at me? Bella! Please!" I blanked him, and turned my key in the truck. The truck roared to life and I speeded away, almost hitting the shiny Volvo that had pulled out at the same time. I glared at the driver who glared right back until I realized who it was.

Edward smiled but his brother Emmett kept on glaring until I honked at him and he drove away.

"Hello?"

"Bella? It's Mike."  
"What do you want, Mike?" it was eleven o'clock in the evening and I STILL hadn't mastered the fact how people fall asleep in such a noisy place. As in, rains splattering hard against the window, wind whistling through the gap in the window I couldn't close, and then the horrid snoring coming from Charlie's room really was the cherry on top of a fantastic night. Not.

"I couldn't sleep because of what happened today …"

"Forget it . . . Just, why do you hate Edward and his family? They look like decent enough people to me." Minus the part where Emmett wasn't looking when he drove out of his parking place.

"They might _look _it, but trust me, they aren't."

"Oh." I had told my friends from Phoenix about Edward and they had the reaction I expected . Jealous, but happy about my fitting in.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yes, bye." I hung up feeling a bit down and a bit angry. How could they judge people so easily here? From what I gathered, Mike had hardly said a word to Edward and his family since they begun high school. I finally fell asleep around two o'clock in the morning.

My truck started and died.

I hit the steering wheel in frustration. _Damn old trucks and damn the cold place!_ I thought.

"Hey Bella, need a ride?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Thx for all the reviews!!! Hope u like this chapter…**

**HELPLESS**

**CHAPTER 5.**

I stared in astonishment at Edward as he grinned mischievously at me. How was that possible? I had been wishing fro someone to drive by and see my dead truck, and then Edward appeared.

"Need a ride?" he asked, his voice low and mocking.

"S-sure. Thanks. How did you know? You don't usually drive this way." he laughed and started to walk towards his empty, I noticed, car.

"I know more than I let on, Bella, and you should do the same."  
"Excuse me?" back in Phoenix I would've knocked somebody's block off if they dared say something like that to me. But this time I was to stunned to say anything more than 'excuse me'.

"Wishing to hit someone you barely know isn't a brilliant way to start a new life." I stared at him in horror. What was he ON about? He was right of course. I noticed he was always right til now. Edward gestured to the passenger side of the car and got in in the drivers side.

"Your family?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"They . . . Had some stuff to sort out. They won't be in school until lunch."

"Oh." why did this happen? Why did I feel like such an idiot around him, and I can't say anything other than 'oh', 'ok', and loads of questions that left him staring at me like I was nuts? I probably was.

Edward stared at me in amusement.

"What?"

"You look troubled for someone who isn't scared of anyone or anything." his eyes were on the road, but I swear I saw them glinting.

"Well . . . I haven't had a good night and Michael called me really late and I hate this place and I want to go home to my old friends and my old house." I sounded like I was trying to explain myself to him -which I probably was. He looked at me, suddenly serious.

"Why were you sent down here?" I didn't say anything turning my gaze away from his penetrating one to the road outside.

And that's when it hit me. This wasn't the road to school I took.

"Hey! Where are we going? This isn't the road to school!"

"I know," he replied calmly, "I'm just going the long way, to avoid traffic." _liar, _I thought. In forks, the word _traffic _didn't exist. My school had the frightening number of only 300 something students. Edward read my expression clearly and muttered something intelligible.

I sigh and stare out of the window, suddenly not caring where we were going.

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

This was killing me. Visions of perfect ways to kill Bella Swan were pooling my mind so easily, **(A/N: this part is NOT mine. I took it from Stephanie Meyers new book midnight sun)** that I didn't even bother blocking them out. I wasn't taking her to school, and she knew it. I was planning something horrible and something in her eyes told me she was scared of _me_. I silently chuckled to myself. Who wasn't scared of me? My father - or adoptive father - was scared of me, of my power **(A/N: this part is mine. Just the part of the vision is the authors, the rest is mine.) **my mother - or adoptive mother - made sure to stay away from me when I was in need of feeding, Emmett who was the biggest of the family was scared of me. God! Even I was scared of _myself._ I took a sharp turning so the car bumped along the dusty path of the forest.

Bella straightened and turned around to glare at me, her smell hitting me full force. I glared right back.

"What are you _doing_? Take me back Edward!" I didn't answer her scared growl.

"Please. Don't say anything."  
"WHAT? Are you . . . Kidnapping me? Take me home, Edward! My father is Chief Swan, and you have no idea what he'll-" I smashed a fist on the steering wheel, making a huge dent in the leather.

"Do you think I _don't _know who your father is? He's been on my back ever since I moved here. And even now that I stared school, he won't leave me alone." I stopped the car and got out, listening for some prey to come along so I could attack and feed.

Bella got out of the car after me, and something told me that she was scared and fighting back tears.

"Take me to school. Please." Bella came closer to me and tugged on my sleeve. I walked off into the darkest part of the woods, and attacked a small deer.

"wait their a sec, Bella." I finished feeding and stepped out of the darkness. Bella gasped when she saw blood on my lips.

"Edward? Are you OK?" I nodded and cleaned my mouth with some water.

"Who are you?" she asked scared.

"I want to know myself Bella, but please, trust me." my plans on killing her vanished as I looked into her brown eyes and smiled.

She smiled back still scared and stepped into that car.

I get in after her and start the ignition.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

_**EDWARDS POV STILL.**_

It was a silent ride to school. Bella sat as far away from me as possible; hand on the door as if she was ready to jump out if she had to. I didn't blame her. Maybe feeding in front of her wasn't a good idea. I tried to make conversation but all she would do was nod and shake her head. No comment. I parked roughly in the parking lot of the school and jumped out. Bella came out after me and half ran half jogged to the English building. I calling her but she hurried into the building without a backward glance.

I suddenly remembered what I had said the first day I started their, the way I looked at _her _when I told them.

"_You know my brothers and sisters, so you know not to mess with me."_ Did she finally understand what I meant? I couldn't let that happen. She LIKED me for crying out loud! And what had I done? I'd taken her into the woods, planning on murdering the girl with the brown eyes that caught me in her grasp the first time I laid eyes on her.

I hurried to English, heart in my mouth.

"Lovely for you to join us, Mr.Cullen."

"Sorry, sir." I sat heavily in my seat, suddenly drained out of strength. This wasn't what I had planned and the visions I had weren't helping me.

And guess what? I had to wait til lunch to tell Alice.

Alice could communicate with me by thoughts. She could call me in her thoughts and it would be like calling me by voice. But this was only possible when she was in reaching distance.

Instead of listening to my English teacher drone on about _Wuthering heights _and its form of writing, I listened to the thoughts of the kids around me.

I know, I know. Privacy boundaries and all that. But listening to peoples thoughts was way more fun than listening to my English teacher. If you met him you'd know what I meant.

_Bella is never late as far as I know. Of course I don't know much do I? I'm just the class GEEK._ This came from Eric who was staring longingly at Bella. Ew, I can't believe I just said _longingly._ Seriously, that guy needs help in his staring systems. If you liked a girl the last thing you want is her to catch you staring. That was just out of order. well, thats what Emmett says, anyway.

_I can't BELIEVE she blew me off like that! All the girls would've said yes to me for the bloody dance. God this is so annoying, when is he going to shut up?_ Mike Newton glared at the black board. He seriously liked her, but was it only for her beauty, or was it really because he LIKED her? Yeah right. The last girl he went with lasted 1 week.

I turned my head slightly sideways, like I was trying to understand what the teacher was saying, when really I was trying to decipher the annoying, and whiny voice of Jessica.

_OMG! One week here and she's got loads of boys head over heels for heels for her! Little cow! Even EDWARD CULLEN was staring at her! And mike? __**Oh Bella**__, will you come to the dance with me? Loser! She is WAY out of your league and anyway, her rich Phoenix friends are going to come down. Ha ha ha. I can't believe EDWARD CULLEN was staring at her! This is RIDICULOUS._ I tuned out completely after that. It didn't surprise me that Jessica was bitching about Bella, but what hurt the most was the way she said. With so much hatred and venom.

I looked around and caught Bella looking at me. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked down quickly. Fresh poison flowed in my mouth when I saw the colouring of blood in her face.

I looked away and prayed silently for the bell, when I could see Alice and tell her everything.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

After class, I walked as quickly as possible from Edwards penetrating look. The last thing I wanted was him to catch me looking at him. AGAIN.

What happened this morning was weird. He disappears into the forest and comes out with blood tinged lips.

And when I ask him he says, "I wish I knew myself."

"Edward and Emmett Cullen are staring at you." Jessica said at lunch time, her voice dripping with annoyance. I look up and Edward smiles at me, while Emmett talks to him quickly.

Jessica is in my Spanish class, and she has this really annoying this where people have to NOTICE her like she is a little no-one in a world full of some-ones. It's really brain exhausting.

I looked at them again and saw that Edward was sitting at a table alone, while Rosalie glared at him. She caught me looking at her and the phrase 'if looks could kill' passed fleetingly across my mind. She glared right through me, and I saw Emmett whispering in her ear. She seemed to sigh and look back down at the plate of untouched food.

Edward beckoned to me with his long, pale fingers.

"What does he want? Tell him that you're busy." Mike snapped. Jessica looked hurt that he didn't want to spend lunch time with her alone. Irritation made my anger reach boiling point .

"No, I will not tell Edward that I am busy because I bet what _he _has to say is more interesting than your annoying 'so, what are we going to do after school?' and your 'my team scored 6:4 in the finals this year'. like I could care less!" Jessica indignantly squawked in her annoying I-am-the-most-beautiful-thing-you-have-ever-seen-and-don't-diss voice, "Watch it, Bella!"  
"Or what? Sic your best mate _Lauren_ on me? Do it! See if I care!" with that I stalked off in the direction of Edwards table where he sat, a silent snicker playing on his lips.

I pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down, arms crossed over my chest expectantly.

"Bella . . ."

"Wait. Don't say anything. I want an explanation for what happened to day. . . I mean this morning." I cut him off abruptly. Edward's expression was impossible to read. His eyes were closed off from me, so all I could see was the golden colour.

"I can't tell you now, OK? It's too dangerous."

"Oh Edward! Stop being such a big baby, I know what dangerous IS as I have lived it all my life. So you can tell me calmly, because danger for me is fact of life. And you know what? I want to know NOW." I noticed the younger girls head shoot up and look towards us questioningly like Edward had just called her.

"Look Bella, if I tell you it'll be a type of danger you have never encountered, OK? It'll be more dangerous than joy riding with Jesse or-"  
"Wait. What?" I whispered. Edward looked pained and then remorseful.

"N-nothing."  
"How do you know about the joy riding thing?" I whispered. Edward looked at the girl whose name I now remembered, Alice. Something in his eyes told her to come over, which she obliged to do. They spoke in low voices which I didn't bother to strain my ears for. I buried my head in my hands and started to wish my life away. OK, not really, but I did wish that the floor would open up and swallow me whole. Edward pried my wrist from my face and looked at me.

"Look, this is really hard for me, but you _have _to do me this favor. Please." he looked so needy and worried that all I could do was stare at him.

"Please, Bella. Don't let your friends from Phoenix come down next Saturday. Please. They're just going to be in danger. Phone them now and make a excuse, say anything. Please do it for me." his face was unreadable. His eyes careless, but his voice told a different story. His voice made me take my phone out and dial Jesses number.

"Bella? Hey!"  
"Jesse? Are you alone?"

"Well no, but I can be if you want me to."

"OK. Be alone, please."

"Please? Bella, what's wrong? You never say please." his voice was laughing at me but I was sure I heard a twinge of worry in it.

"Tell everyone not to come down next week."

"What? Girl, we haven't seen you for ages and you tell us not to come down?" he was pissed off at me. I recognized the closed off voice.

Suddenly, the phone was taken out of my hand and Edward was speaking quickly in the phone. I could hear Jesses angry, "Oi! Who the hell are _you_? Put me back onto Bella, NOW."

"Please. Just d as we say."  
"WE? Whose we? I want to talk to Bella!" Edward hung up and handed the phone back to me. He suddenly looked ten years older. Alice touched his shoulder, and he got up, saying a quick, "see you in biology."

Mike stalked to where I sat, staring after Edward in a dazed state. What was he on about? Danger? And how did he know about my joy riding? Was he spying on me? Mike looked at me, then at Edwards retreating back.

"Hey Bells, you OK?"

"Don't call me that." I got up and walked out of the cafeteria. I didn't like the feeling I had. The sensation of being so small and not knowing anything compared to Edward, who looked and sounded intelligent. I didn't like the urgency he used in his voice when he told me to call Jess. I didn't like the feeling.

I felt so . . .

Helpless.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

_**EDWARDS POV**_

I told Bella that her friends shouldn't come and it crushed her. Her face fell down like half a meter, she was so shocked.

And it broke my heart. The last thing I want was to her to feel so badly because of something I said and not EXPLAINED. How much would she hate me now? I hadn't done her any favours by taking her in the woods and letting her see the blood on my lips. She was probably wondering what type of freak I was.

And now I had to sit next to her like nothing happened, and I hadn't just crushed under my fist her wish of her friends coming over.

Biology. Yay.

I listened to the teacher drone on a bit about something or other before it tuned out and tried to listen to the students thoughts around me._Oh God my head is killing me! I hope mum is going to give me the night off. I can't study in these conditions. _Angela's voice was full of hope. The quiet girl of the year, studying all the time. She usually hung out with Mike, Jessica and now Bella.

I let other peoples thoughts invade my mind as I fought to stay awake. I inclined my head slightly towards Bella, and tried to listen to her thoughts, but their was a barrier around her mind, a big white wall which wouldn't let me in no matter how hard I tried. And when I found a vulnerable patch something hit me hard in the chest, knocking the breath out of me.

I looked down at my lap, expecting to see any type of object but their was nothing. I glanced at Bella who was now holding her head and grimacing.

She _felt _it. She felt it when I tried to listen to her thoughts.

I gasped, trying to breathe properly again before someone noticed. The last thing I wanted right now was for someone to think I suffered from asthma. Which I don't.

Too late. My biology teacher (**A/N: sorry guys but I can't remember ANY of the teachers names.**) saw me gasping and looked a bit wary, "Are you OK Edward?" I nodded and looked quickly down ay my book, where pictures and diagrams swam before my face, and I couldn't understand _anything._

"I think you should stand outside for a while." the teacher continued.

I glared at him, "I'm fine sir, just a bit dizzy that's all."

"Are you sure?"  
"I'm fine." the teacher shrugged and walked away. I looked away from the front and outside the window when I felt someone stare at me. I didn't look around to know that it was Bella.

Man, this was going to be a LONG day.

"Why are you so late?" Emmett asked annoyed. He hates waiting for anyone, especially me.

"Sorry, I . . .uh, got held up." he snorts and get's into the car. Rosalie sneers, "with WHO were you held up? Your human girl?"

"Shut it, Rose." Alice and jasper usually make sure they stay out of it when we start throwing insults at each other, but this time Jasper made us see all the bad times we had and the way we helped each other.

Jasper can control our feelings like Alice can control our minds.

"What's this? What human girl, Edward? Was it the girl you spoke with at lunch?" Emmett knew it of course, but he liked to make me suffer when I insulted in any way - even with a simple _shut it_ - Rosalie. They've been married for years now, but pretend to be in the senior year in high school.

I drove as fast as I could through the streets to our house while Alice sifted through my mind, through the days events. She stopped and a gave an involuntary gasp when she reached the part of my feeding in front of Bella.

"Edward! What did you do?"  
"Alice I had to! Or I would've attacked her, and I didn't want it!" Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie stared at us while we fought.

"Carlisle is going to be so MAD!"  
"Not if you don't say anything!" I parked and stalked out of the car, forgetting to lock it in the process. But of course Carlisle knew. He made us this way and he had a bit of power from each.

Infact, he was waiting on the front porch when we arrived, arms crossed.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Edward?" he yelled at me as soon as I came into view.

"What was I supposed to do? _attack _her?"  
"If that was your only option then YES."

"You are absolutely _crazy._ just because you've been like this for the past seven centuries and you've forgot to LOVE, doesn't mean I inherited it from you." Carlisle stared at me in utter shock.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. I'm sick and tired of this and right now I really wish you'd let me die that night." with that, I turned on my heel and stalked back to the car and drove away.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

_**STILL EDWARDS POV**_

I had nowhere to go, of course. Carlisle didn't think it was _prudent _for us to make friends with humans. So we obeyed like good kids do. We do whatever he said we should, and then we got rewards.

He smiling at us and making us feel welcome was the most important one. We never wanted him to feel angry towards us.

DAMN. Why do I keep saying _we? _It was _me _who hated making Carlisle angry. It was me who studied and made good progress. E.g. not attacking humans when in need of feeding.

It was Emmett who thought doing what Carlisle wanted was stupid. After all, he had ruined our lived even though it was done for a good cause.

Emmett hated Carlisle for changing us. The night he turned me into a monster was the night I was dying of a plague. I can't really remember where or the year. I forgot those things as soon as I turned vampire.

That's what happens. When you turn into a vampire, you start to forget all your human memories, the way humans act, the humans _live._

Rosalie doesn't remember anything about her life except that it was a living nightmare, Jasper never TALKS about it, so we don't really know and Alice . . .

Alice is special. The night Carlisle found her; she had jumped off a cliff. Or was trying to anyway.

I drove around aimlessly for hours, not knowing or really caring if I went home. Carlisle wasn't going to miss me, nor the rest of my _family_. Thoughts muddled up, I drove out of the small town of Forks and drove through the next town where most people went shopping, (**A/N: again people. I can't remember what the name of the town where Bella goes shopping with Jessica for their dance dresses is called. If anybody knows, please tell me.**)

Their were loads of girls from our school shopping for dance dresses, even if it was nearly seven in the evening, you couldn't really run into trouble in a small town like this, so you went shopping at anytime of the day and come back at any time in the night.

I turned into an alleyway and parked my car in front of a coffee shop. Us vampires don't usually eat or drink but a nice coffee won't hurt our senses. Maybe it would even dull the feeling of thirst that had just washed over me.

Not thirst fro a drink. Thirst for blood.

I had fed this morning but drinking so quickly hadn't exactly helped me. Already seeing – or thinking – about Bella's blushing cheeks made a fresh river of poison flow in my mouth.

I entered the café, the smell of coffee luring me to the bar.

And who did I see, sitting calmly with a bunch of people from school at the bar?

None other than Isabella Swan.

I sat down as far away from them as possible, listening to their conversation without them knowing. The bartender, a fat man with a bushy beer and coffee stains on his shirt, cam over to me and asked, "Whaddya want, son? Coffee, tea, coke, squash, vodka . . ."

"A coffee please." The bartender looked at me and then gave a low laugh.

"You look like you'd need some alcohol down your throat, son" I smiled weakly and showed him my driving license. False, of course.

"Ah, I see. Not old enough?" I nodded and he walked away, silently chuckling to himself.

I looked at my hands holding the driving license. I was seventeen and had been for a VERY LONG TIME. I noticed that the conversation that had been going on beside me, a few stools down, had now stopped. I glanced at the girls and saw them all staring at me. I stared back, my vampire instincts making my hands clench into tight fists.

Jessica was the first to look away._ Coward_, I thought. Big mouthed Jessica seemed to blush under my gaze, and I entered her thoughts easily.

_Why is he staring? Worst of all, why does he have to look so good in just a t-shirt and jeans? Oh my god! I can't believe I just thought that! I like Mike. Even though he can be a twat sometimes. What _is _his fascination with Bella, anyway? What's wrong with me? Oh well, at least I 'm going to the dance with him, and Bella will be all alone at home because even her friends from Phoenix ditched her. Ha ha ha_. My stare turned into a glare, and Jessica glanced up.

Angela left with a muttered excuse about biology homework even if we didn't have any.

Lauren sneered and nudged Bella who had avoided my gaze the whole time. She looked at me finally and seemed absolutely exhausted. Jessica seemed to freak at Bella for even _looking _at me.

"What?" she snarled. Jessica looked taken a back for a second, but recovered quickly,

"We're going home. Do you want to come, or do you want to hang around with HIM?" Bella shook her head and said, "I'll come with you. Just give me a second, OK?"

"Whatever" they all left dresses held in one hand and bags in the other. Lauren gave me a last look before she shut the door behind her.

Bella sat herself beside me, the air from the door weaving through her hair, making her smell stronger than ever. A fresh wave of poison flowed in my mouth.

"So, what was all that about? This morning?"

"It was nothing."

"Yeah, well, I don't get in cars with guys who disappear in the woods for five minutes then come back with blood on their lips." She lifted one eyebrow which made her look even prettier.

"OK, I'm sorry about this morning. I just . . . suffer from really bad nose bleeds." Urgh, did I just SAY that? Bella didn't seem to believe me anyway, so that was OK. Or maybe not.

"Edward, look, I haven't known you for lone but this sis getting really weird. I mean, when I sat next to you for the first time on bio you looked . . . revolted at the idea of sitting next to me."

"But . . ."she held up a hand and I let her continue.

"AND, when I get in a car with you, you disappear into the woods, to come back with BLOOD on your lips."I nodded and said, "Yeah, I must've looked really weird in your eyes, right?"

"Excuse me?" Bella looked naturally perplexed. She looked even prettier and smarter when she looked like this. I averted my eyes from her flushed cheeks. _this _was not the time to feel hungry. Or thirsty, in my case.

I downed my coffee and asked in a low voice, "Do you want a ride?" Bella smiled her sweet smile and shook her head apologetically, "Sorry Edward, but I've got to go with Jess."  
"But her cars parked all the way on the other side of town!" I exclaimed. She was going to _walk all the way? _I had heard her in gym protesting about the run, and she was now saying she was going to WALK all the way across town?

"Yeah. I promised Jess I'd got to her house and see her in her new _dress._" I laughed, the way she said DRESS, insinuated that she was not looking forward to it.

"Thanks Edward, you're really sweet."

Speechless, I watched her walk out if the café, a small bounce in her step like I had crushed and masde her day in less than five hours.


	10. Chapter 10

**I have a prob. I swap from past to present and vice versa. If you see this, can you PLEASE tell me? Thx for the review. Hope u like this chapter )**

**Chapter 10**

_**Bella's POV.**_

This was scary. I met Jessica at her car like she told me too, but her car wouldn't start. So we made our way to the bus stop we saw in front of the dress shop. We were standing their for what seemed to be five minutes when a group of guys who were obviously drunk came our way. We ignored them, continuing with our conversation when one of the drunk and sweaty boys put an arm around Jessica's shoulders who visibly shuddered in response.

"Wassup girl? Don' like us big kids?" he slurred. He was obviously the leader of the group as when he said this, the other four laughed.

I ignored him and his friends, looking straight ahead when the other four came closer, making a circle around us.

No, wait. Making a circle around _me._ Oh God, I was their target victim.

"Ooh, you aren't from around 'ere are you? You're all tanned and pretty…" the black haired boy said, stroking my cheek. Why do I keep saying boy/guy? These were fully grown men! Unless the boys around here had gold teeth.

"DON'T touch me." I snarled and stepped to one side where a pair of sweaty arms wrapped themselves around me. I yelped and tried to jump away, but he had me tight, while the other boys stroked my legs and arms in a gross and disgusting way that made me want to throw up the sandwich I'd had at the bar.

I heard clickety heels on tarmac and knew that Jessica had abandoned me. That cow!

My only thoughts were:

_Should I use the back kick like Jesse taught me?_

_Should I use the backward jab like Josh taught me?_ oh yeah and my other thought was _**EWWWW**_

I thought about screaming really, really loud. But that thought was gone before I could grasp on it.

What was WRONG with these people? Couldn't they see that their was a girl in trouble? Couldn't they help? Obviously the answer was 'no'.

I wasn't even dressed in a provoking manner, unless here in Forks they thought that girls with jeans and a t-shirt were easy.

I silently screamed in my head, wishing someone would walk past with their dog or whatever, see me in trouble then get help.

A car screeched into the open alley, headlights really bright, making the men cover their eyes in shock. I was thrown roughly on the floor where I saw stars for a minute before standing up and pressing my self as hard as I could into the wall. Whoever came along was having the upper hand with the men. They were going down like pins in a bowling alley.

They got up and ran away, screaming nonsense over their shoulders.

Edward Cullen came into view, his face bloody where one of the men had punched him on the mouth. No harm done to his beautiful white teeth. Just a split lip.

"Edward? What are you doing here? How did you know?"

"I didn't I just had a … hunch"

"That I was in trouble?"  
"No, not really. Just, I felt that someone was in some sort of trouble, that's all." he turned his back and opened the driver's side door.

"You getting in or not? They'll come back, you know."

I got in, still wondering how he knew. You don't get hunched knowing that a person in this type of trouble, and how many there were. For all he knew, I could've been caught drink-driving.

Thinking of that made me think of that morning in the cafeteria, when he said so heatedly, "_Look Bella, if I tell you it__'__ll be a type of danger you have never encountered, OK? It__'__ll be more dangerous than joy riding with Jesse or-_" how did he know? He couldn't've had a hunch about THAT. I didn't tell anybody about what happened that night and why I was sent to Forks. Christ! Not even my FATHER knew!

Edward looked at me and said softly, "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine." I muttered. God this was so embarrassing. He knew all of my secrets - well the most important one anyway - and still made me fell like honey in front of him. His gaze was on the road when he asked calmly, "where'd Jessica go?" I had an impression that he knew where she'd gone.

"She ran for it."

"Cow. I can't believe she acts like she's your best friend one minute and then leave you when you most needed her." I shrugged pointlessly. That's when my gaze fell on the speedometer.

120mph.

"Jesus Edward!!! Slow down! A car accident is really not on my to-do list!"

"Relax Bells. I have driven like this for the past year and I haven't had one speed ticket or a car accident."

"Yet. What if this is your unlucky night?"  
"Stop it Bella. You're just overreacting. And what happened tonight didn't help either. So relax."

"If something happens to us, I'll sue you." he laughed to himself, and I snuggled back into the seat, making myself as comfortable as possible and closed my eyes.

"Where have you been!?!" Charlie yelled at me as I entered the house, Edwards arm supporting me for I still felt a little weak.

"And what is HE doing here?" why did every one have to call Edward HE? It's not like he had feelings or anything.

Apparently I had voice my thoughts out loud because Edward tightened his arm around my waist and dragged me to one side.

"Mr. Swan, I don't think this is an appropriate time to tell her off." Edward tried to reason with my father, but he was on a role.

"Don't you tell me how to treat my daughter! You are no-one in this community! And take your hands off her!" Edward dropped his arm and stepped back, a look of anger and sadness flashed across his face, and before I could utter a word, he was gone. Out of the door and down the street to his car in no time.

"Maybe, next time you'd ASK why I was taken home by Edward! If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead by now!"

"Now there Bella, don't become a drama queen"

"Drama Queen? ME? No. let's just say that I was attacked by a group of drunken men in Port Angeles, and someone called Jessica – whom you have talked so FONDLY about – ran for it the first opportunity she had!"

"Bella-"

"Leave me alone! You are horrible. The only person who accepts me and you make him run a mile! I hate you!"

I swept up the stairs and slammed by bedroom door.

Hard.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11.**

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

_**BACK AT THE HOUSE OF CULLENS.**_

I slammed my bedroom door shut.

Hard.

A bad night has turned into worst and now I had a whole other part of the night where I could ignore everything and everyone.

Especially the people who were banging on my bedroom door and threatening to take it down.

I lay on my bed in a hazy state. I had saved the girl I liked from a group of drunken men, got shouted at by her clueless father, and made my own parents mad.

God, what else could a guy ask for?

A LITTLE BIT OF PEACE MAYBE!

"Edward! Get down here this minute!" that was Emmett.

"Come on Edward. That human girl isn't worth it!" Rosalie.

"Edward? Do you want to talk?" Alice.

"Look, Edward. Carlisle said I'd have to use my powers on you if you don't move" Jasper.

"Not if I block you, sucker!" me.

"Look kid, we can talk about this and sort it out!" Carlisle.

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna come down when you told me to attack the girl I'm in love with!" oops.

"WHAT!?! Get down here NOW!" OH GOD. Why did I say the L word? In front of my father as well? I had no choice but to go down. And when I did, I found the whole family sitting in the living room like you might find in court. You know, the judge at the table, and all the others around him/her. Damn I was I in trouble.

"I believe you said that you _loved _the human girl?" Carlisle asked, completely calm like he didn't have a care in the world. I nodded nervously and felt rather than saw Emmett glare at me.

"Carlisle, you don't believe him, do you? He's just trying to get out of this the hard way! He's always been like that! Trying to prove himself." I slumped in my armchair and closed my eyes. This was going to be along night, and I had no idea how to get out of the mess I had made. I heard Rosalie give a small chuckle of agreement and I stiffened. It was alright for _them _to act like it was shock horror. _they _were married for the past god-knows-how-many-years. _They_ weren't forbidden to fall in love and get married because _they _were both vampires. Carlisle growled. Looking up I saw his eyes weren't the usual ochre brown, but deep black with red rims.

He had to feed, and was taking his pain out on me.

"You will not see that girl again and that's final." he got up and left the house.

This was the moment I wished vampires could turn into bats so I could fly far far away from everyone who thought I was a fool.

Instead, I contented myself with paying a little visit to Bella Swan.

Us vampires can't fly, but we can run really, really fast. So fast that you won't be able to see us. Us vampires can't turn into spiders, rats or bats but we can make ourselves invisible .

And that's how I made myself when I entered Bella's room.

I know it's wrong but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to know if she was OK after what happened tonight.

She wasn't OK.

She was lying face down on her bed, crying. I sat next to her and she flinched, as if she knew someone was sitting next to her. I wanted to stroke the tears away, and make everything OK again. I wanted to see her smile and full of radiant joy.

But if I did stroke the tears away, I would have to reveal my identity, and then my whole world would come crashing down. So I left, listening to her sobs and the music from the basketball match below.

Driving home, o realized a few things:

1. I was inlove with Bella

2. That was against my nature


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

I walked into school with a sense of dread. The word about the attack in Port Angeles must've gone round already. And maybe about me being dropped off at home by a certain shiny Volvo. I hadn't slept that night so I was ready for all the snide comments I might get about 'siding with the enemy'. Hopefully, though I wouldn't get any, or the person who would say anything would get a nice punch in the nose as well as kick in the ribs.

Why did people hate Edward? I mean, what's the point? Why can't he just hang around with his family like he wants to and not get whispered at? What was wrong with these people?

OK, so maybe Edward wasn't my favourite person right now. Since, like, ever.

Um, apart from the fact that when he looks lat me I feel myself melting like butter in the sun, or when he touches me – even accidentally – I have this cold rush of electricity through my body or even when he talks to me, it's like the whole world faded into a big pile if nothingness.

God, these feelings were natural, right?

I mean, it's not like I fancy him or anything, right?

Of course I didn't. What's the point? It's not like he's gonna fancy me back, right? He's too cool, and sweet and handsome and funny and intelligent and . . .

Oops, I can't believe I even thought of him that way! Ew! I don't _believe _in romance in High School! It just breaks your heart. Well, most of the time, anyway.

It was snowing today. Just my luck. Parking my truck in an iced parking space was a piece if cake. Not.

I opened the large double doors that led to the hallway of the High School and stepped hesitantly inside.

Every single face of the school turned towards me expectantly. All the chitter-chatter that was going on before stopped abruptly and they all stared at me, the new girl.

I noticed a blonde head rushing away down the corridor and around the corner to our Spanish class.

"HEY!" I yelled, and ran after her. I caught up with her when she sat down and started to take her books out.

"You COW! How dare you abandon me like that? Their were five of 'em and you run away at the first opportunity you got? What type of friend ARE you?" Jess looked at me, her eyes wide with shock.

"Oh Bella! I was going to get help! You have to believe me! Why would I do that to you?" she started to get up to give me a hug, but I stepped back, disgusted.

"Don't touch me. Real friends don't ditch other friends when they are in need of help! And you weren't running to get help, because Edward arrived. And when we passed your parking slot, your car was gone." Lie, of course. But she wasn't to know that.

"Bella, I'm so, so sorry. Really I am. I went to get help at the café next to the street where we were attacked but it was already closed! I tried to phone you on your mobile, like, thousands of times? But you never picked up."

"I checked my mobile and their were no phone calls, voice mails, or texts from YOU."

"I didn't ditch you."

"Yes you did." People were starting to pile into the class room now, all listening intently to our fight.

"Oh for Gods Sake, Bella! Now I know why your friends from Phoenix ditched you! You are so annoying with your thinking you are always right!" Jess was getting courage now their was an audience. Bitchy Plastic like she was.

"My friends did not ditch me. I told them not to come."

"Oh, whatever! You like having the upper hand don't you? I mean, listen to yourself 'I told them not to come'. From what I heard, Josh won't take orders from anyone. Not even you." She smiled smugly and I sneered right back.

"Josh does do as I say because he is my best friend. I do what he says and vice versa. Do you really think that after all these years, they'd ditch me? For what? Another night in? Another run around the block with their new cars? PLEASE! Anyway, I believe they are the only true friends I got and you… are nothing but a wannabe." I glared at her all the time while I said this. Even the teacher was speechless.

"At least I didn't get arrested for joy riding with a drunken guy." I stared at her in shock.

So that was it. My secret revealed by a stupid girl whose only fantasy was to end up becoming Mrs. Jessica Newton. Whose only interests were make-up, clothes, make-up, boys, clothes, and did I mention make-up?

"What did you say?" I snarled. My eyes narrowed into slits which were heavily done up in black water proof mascara and eyeliner. The whole effect was pretty frightening as my father Charlie had said. Or rather, he said: "Wow. Who're you supposed to be? Queen of Death?" To which I replied, "Shut it." I know he was trying to make up with me about what happened yesterday night, but I wasn't that forgiving.

"Yeah, that's right. _I _don't go doing ILLEGAL stuff with a boy who is nearly twice my age."

"Excuse me? Jesse is only eighteen if you don't mind!"

"What about your darling Robert Newbury? The guy who kissed you and ruined your life in one go?" she made her eyes go all puppy like and sad. The class sniggered nervously. Obviously, something like this had never happened in this school.

"What about him? He's dead to me."

"DUH! We know that! But why? Is it because he was going to bed with your best girl friend at the time? And then spread the rumour that you were what? Frigid?" I gasped. That was it. The end of my life. This couldn't be happening. I had never dreamed of this happening. Josh had said that every word was going to be safe! He promised!

And what about my mother? Could she have told? She was so mad at me when she found out I'd been joy riding. And arrested for it, irregardless! This was totally over the top!

"Oh dear! What have I DONE? Did I hit your weak point, Isabella Swan?" i wanted so bad to hit her. But Isaac had once said 'if you hit someone in a word fight, you pass straight away to the side of the wrong, even if you are right.' I remained completely still and silent, wishing the nausea that had formed in my stomach to go away. The COW! How dare she? Who was she anyway? No-one! Nobody even remembered her name before I came along!I felt a pair of eyes stare at me from somewhere in front of the classroom. Moving my eyes just a little bit, I saw Edward glaring past me at Jessica.

She hadn't finished though.

"And anyway, Isabella, it's not like people like you here, so go back to where you belong . . . In prison." the class erupted into laughter and I could feel tears threatening to spill. I didn't want to live that night again. We weren't joy riding on purpose! We had a reason. We had a bleeding guy in the back, and our car had been stolen. What were we supposed to do? Let him bleed to his death?

"How do you know about all this?" I choked out.

"Welcome to Forks, girl. Everybody knows everyone's business." she sneered. I felt so defeated, I picked up my bag and walked out of the door, slamming the door hard at the laughing that erupted inside. I fighted back tears, because, me, Isabella Swan, NEVER cried. For any reason. I slammed the double doors and stumbled towards my truck, tears blinding my sight.

I felt my phone vibrate, and I took it out.

Mikes name flashed and so did Jessica's. I ignored them and continued walking towards my truck. It seemed to get farther and farther away with every step I took.

"Bella! Wait." a cold hand clamped itself on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, but the person whose hand belonged to spun me round to face him. I thought it was Mike, but I came face to face with Edward Cullen.

"Bella? Are you _crying_?" I wrenched myself free. Or tried to, but he had a firm grip on my shoulders.

"Yes, I am. So what? Never seen a girl cry before?" he looked completely unaffected by what I just said.

"If it wasn't for YOU," I continues "My secret would still be safe!" Edward stared at me, then leaned in closer, whispering in my ear, "I do believe, Miss. Swan, that the day and time I told you about the danger you were going to face if your friends came down, the moment I said that it was more dangerous than joy riding, I chose the appropriate time, a.k.a, the loudest moment in the cafeteria. I think you have to aim your accusations on someone else." he pulled away, his lips twitching into a smile. I couldn't resist that smile, so I found myself smiling back, tears running down my cheeks. He brushed them away with his fingertips and continue whispering, "Would you like a lift home? I will explain everything then"

I nodded then stopped, "Wait. You won't disappear in the woods them come out with your lips tinged with blood, are you?" he furrowed his brow in concentration then answered, his voice laughing at me, "No, Bella, not this time." I made a 'huh' sound and turned towards my truck. Edward caught my arm and took the keys out of my hand.

"May I? we'll go in my car."

"What about my truck?" I asked.

"I'll have Alice drop it off for you later, OK?" he smiled and led me off in the direction of his shiny gray Volvo, in front of all the eyes of my Spanish class.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you people for all your reviews!! I hope you like this chapter because I do . . .)**

**CHAPTER 13**

_**EDWARDS POV**_

So I told her everything. We were in her bedroom and she was still crying, so I took the opportunity to tell her. She was shocked at first, her eyes wide, and her cheeks streaked with tears.

And then she laughed.

She _laughed_, OK? Like this was all a big joke. Which I wish it was, but whatever. So I had to prove to her that I wasn't lying. I lifted her desk with one hand, ran all the way down stairs and back again in a matter of seconds, made myself invisible, and sat so still and unmoving that she touched me twice to see that I wasn't dead.

"You're not lying. It's true. You are a. . . vampire."

"You mean a monster?" I growled. I knew what was coming. The taunting, the teasing and of course I knew that the regret would soon come. I didn't know I could trust her. What if I wake up tomorrow morning in a cage? Not that I sleep, but who knows?

"No, I don't mean a monster. You aren't a monster, Edward . . . Just different." I gave a snort of laughter and whispered, "So I'm different. Anything else?"

She looked taken a back for a second, but then her expression turned into one of scorn,

"You hate yourself, don't you?" I looked up surprised.

"What?"

"You're scared of yourself and hate yourself because you don't know what you might become over night." I stared at her. The oxygen left my body like she had hit me. She was right.

I _was _scared of myself. I _did _hate myself for what I had become, and inside I felt like I was dying again. Stupid really, because I had never died in the first place, but I had come close to it. Bella stared at me right back, her eyes smiling at me, her hands brushing away the tears on her face. She was curled up on the bed, shoes off, and legs tucked underneath her. I fingered a loose thread on my jeans, and looked at everything rather than her.

Her scent was too strong for me, and staying in this room was already reaching the limit of being dangerous. Bella sighed and moved closer to me, her hand inches away from mine.

"If you're a vampire," she asked slyly, looking up at me from beneath her eyelashes, "Does that mean that you can scare all the students who laughed at me today?" I laughed and she smiled back.

"Bella, I wish I could, bt you are the only one who knows what my real identity is, not counting my family."

"How old are you Edward?"

"17"

"How long have you BEEN 17?"  
"A very very long time, Bella."

"I see." she stood up suddenly, and inclined her head towards the door. Then I heard it too. The slam of a door and Charlie's shout, "Bella! Get down here!" Bella looked at me, and I looked at her whispering, "I'll come down with you, OK?" she nodded and started to make her way downstairs.

"Bella! Why did you leave school like that?" he was trying to keep his patience and not doing a very good job of it, either. Bella mumbled something illegible. Charlie sighed dramatically and then spotted me on the stairs. His eyes narrowed and he growled at Bella, "What is HE doing here?"

"HE has a name, dad!" she growled right back.

"Mr. Swan, I can explain." he grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me down the remaining stairs , so roughly, I had to pretend to lose my balance. Bella rushed over o where I kneeled and helped me up, her face marked with worry. I winked at her and she was visibly relieved.

"You will explain what you were doing in my daughters bedroom, and you Bella, will explain what you were thinking- skipping school?"

"Mr. Swan, Bella left because she was being laughed t and mocked and teased. She was crying and the people in our Spanish class were being horrible. We weren't doing anything in her bedroom, sir, honestly. We were just talking about what happened."

"And how do you fit into all this?" Charlie asked.

"I went after her when she walked out of the classroom, sir, and drove her home."

"IS THAT WHY HER TRUCK IS OUTSIDE????" he roared. Obviously he didn't believe a word I said. I stared at him in shock and then laughed.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, BOY? GET OUTTA MY HOUSE, NOW! I HAVE A MIND TO ARREST YOU, YOU KNOW!" that made Bella laugh as well, but I left, promising to meet her outside the school gates tomorrow morning.

I drove home, silently laughing, and when I opened the door I had my own hell to face.

"Where have you been?" Carlisle asked.

"Um, out?" I wasn't going to be nice to him. No way. I slammed the front door and walked towards my bedroom door.

"Edward, wait. Please." I turned slightly toward him and listened to what he had to say.

"Edward, I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I acted like an idiot." I nodded, not forgiving him . . .yet. Carlisle sighed and let me go to my room, where I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

I ignored everyone for the rest of the evening.

I drove to school, and waited for Bella at the gates like I promised. Hey, I might be a vampire but that doesn't mean I don't keep promises. She was early, her massive red truck rumbling around the corner. She got out and smiled her killer smile when she saw me. She was dressed all in black, making the vivid colour of her hair stand out. Her eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner and the whole effect was stunning. I told her so and she laughed appreciatively. I knew that staying this close to her was dangerous, for her and me. But I couldn't help it. She was like a drug and I was addicted to it, and being with her made me forget about the feeding, even if her scent made me want to attack. She seemed at ease with me, as if what I had told her about me was OK. That she didn't care.

We walked into the crowded hallways, and everybody went quiet.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14.**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

I stared right back at the people who stared at me.

Jessica was standing on one side of the corridor, Lauren, Angela, Ben and Mike next to her. I looked from one face to the other, my expression impassible. I could feel Edward stiffen beside me as Jessica looked at him. He looked ready for a fight - I would've LOVED that - but then his gaze turned on me and he smiled. The bell for our first lesson rang and we made our way to English.

I sat at a table away from Jessica's on my own. Edward had to sit with his family, and Emmett's expression made Edward's face turn into a confused frown. The chair in front of was pulled out, and Mike Newton sat in front of me, his tray of untouched food inches away from mine. I glared at him, phone in hand because I was reading the forty text messages my Phoenix friends had sent.

"Whaddya want?" I said, like the first day of school. He smiled his shy smile and said, "Whatever you did in Phoenix doesn't matter to me. It's in the past, right?" he leaned in closer and patted my hand.

"Yeah but Jessica likes _you, _and don't you think she'll get pissed off if her dance date was siding with the girl from Phoenix?" his face registered shock at my words. I didn't understand what he was so shocked about. I mean, I found out that the guy I like - let me re-phrase that, the guy I really really really liked - was a vampire and I wasn't SO shocked. Well maybe I was, but who cares?

"So you don't think I'm worthy of your company?" he snapped ungratefully.

"No, I didn't say that. What I meant was . . . Oh, never mind." Mike stared at me for a long time before he sighed and picked up his chicken sandwich. I felt someone look at me and I lifted my head just an inch from where it was ducked towards my phone. Rosalie stared at me. Or rather, she glared at me like I was a worm that had just crawled out from under a rock. I glared back until she moved her gaze to the opposite wall. Edward hadn't seen, thank God.

A shadow loomed behind me and I twisted round to see who it was.

Jessica stood, her arms folded across her chest, glaring down at me. I took the opportunity to stand up and lean back against the table. I tucked the phone into my jeans pocket and stared back at her, my eyes cold. Jessica smiled a cruel smiled and launched herself at me. I ducked at the last minute so she barreled into the table with an inhuman screech. I lifted her by the collar and spun her round to face me, only so I could land a perfect jab at her nose and sent her down with a deafening scream.

"You broke my nose! You COW!" only she didn't say 'cow'. I stepped back and the memory of breaking cartilage under bone was satisfying. Edward was beside me in seconds and he grabbed my arm.

"Bella, we have to go! Someone called the teachers and in consequence they called the ambulance! This means that the police will be here any second!" I nodded but it was too late. I saw the head teacher walk in with Lauren in tow. God what a hateful cow! I was escorted to the principals office in seconds.

I was not excluded, suspended or put in detention. Which was weird, because back in phoenix, I would've been walking home, books in my bag and wishing I was somewhere else rather than walking home imagining what would happen if I told my mother. I had to sit in the principals office for what seemed like hours listening to her drone on and on about school discipline, the way a proper student should act, and my behavior should be kept under control for a few days. And that was it. They gave a slip of paper with the heading BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT that the teachers had to sign and make comments on for the rest of he week. After that, I was let go to walk grudgingly to my next lesson.

Spanish. Today the seat next to mine was going to be empty. I walked as slowly as possible in the empty corridors towards my class. The rain that had turned outside into a living nightmare was splattering against the now fogged up windows. My face scrunched up in annoyance as I heard a rumble of thunder, and screech of some scared girls. Seriously, they lived here for all their life and they were scared of a little thunder? I made my way slowly, stopping at the girls bathroom for a second, and then taking the long way. I didn't know what would happen if I was caught.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned round, ready to run if I came face to face with a teacher. But I found myself staring in the beautiful eyes of Edward Cullen. He smiled and reached out to steady me, then dropped his hands hurriedly as if I was on fire. I probably _was._ How could he do that? Make me blush at the slightest hint of amusement? I looked away from his penetrating gaze and he chuckled softly.

"Even if you're a vampire, it doesn't mean you can just sneak up on me." I hissed. He laughed again.

"Well, I've been sneaking up on you for a very long time, only you never knew it." I looked at him then, and saw that he was completely serious. I stared for a minute and then finding my voice, I choked out,

"You were spying on me?" I blushed and even darker red - if that was possible - and glared at him darkly, when he nodded, smiling.

"Well, I wouldn't call it _spying _exactly. But I do find your sleeping attire quite interesting." I blushed again, and my skin started burning hot. I used a pair of dusty, old trakkies and a over large t-shirt as my pajamas. He was still looking at me as I turned and stalked off, the pain in my knuckles now catching up with me. I heard running footsteps and in a second, Edward was beside me, his face litten up by that smile. The crooked half-smile I had grown to love.

"Aw, don't be mad at me, please??" he asked, his voice mock pleading. I didn't answer and looked down at the purple bruise forming on my knuckles. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a massive hug that made me melt.

_Stupid, stupid! He's isn't interested in you that way! _one voice said.

Then why is he hugging you like he never wants to let go? The other voice said. This was confusing me, but I hugged him back anyway. Hey, a girl has to have her fun, right? He let go of me abruptly, holding me at arms length.

"I take it that you forgive me?" he asked, his voice gruff but husky at the same time. I smile weakly and took an involuntary step back. I had seen his eyes, and I remembered what he had told me. _when we have black eyes and red rims we are dangerous. We need to feed and I don't want you to be the human to stand in my way. _even though he had said he didn't drink human blood, I was scared when he needed to feed. The vision of the woods with Edward appearing, his lips dripping blood haunted me every time he forgot to feed. Edward saw my reaction and he touched his eyes, his fingers coming away sticky and red with the blood. He looked at me helplessly and whispered, "Get to your lesson. I'll see you at lunch. Promise." he then sprinted down the corridor and out of the doors, his feet barely touching the ground as he disappeared.

I did as he asked and headed for my Spanish lesson, heart in my mouth.


	15. Chapter 15

**OH MY GOD! I LUV ALL U GUYS!! NEVA HAVE I RECEIVED SO MANY FAVOURITE AUTHOR/STORY ADDITIONS WITH ALL OF MY OTHER STORIES!!!!! LUV YA ALL!!)**

**CHAPTER 15**

"Heya girlfriend." Edward still hadn't shown up and I was getting worried.

"Go away Josh" I started when I said his name. I looked up to see my five Phoenix boys grinning down at me. I jumped to my feet and threw myself at Josh who was closest. Oh my God! The came! They actually came! I pulled away roughly and growled, "What are you doing here?!? I thought I told you not to come!" I still hadn't figured out what Edward had meant when he said that they were going to run into danger if they came down. What would happen if Edward walked in and saw them? Would he get angry? Worst of all, would he get _thirsty_?

"Yeah well, you told Jesse that. And has he ever listened to you?" I shook my head. People in the cafeteria were starting to register what was happening. I mean, these guys were old enough to be seniors - or college guys, in Jesse's case - and nobody knew them. Students were murmuring between them selves. I dragged them to side and looked at them properly. They had grown, and they were tanned and they were really _hot_. Not that I hadn't known that BEFORE but . . . Wow, they had changed a lot since then.

Jesse was staring out of the window, staring at the rain. His blonde hair was falling over his eyes, obscuring the beautiful sea blue of his eyes that had captured the hearts of so many girls in his school. Well, as well as his body, of course. He leaned casually against the table, his white shirt tight over his chest, providing everyone - girls mostly - with an eyeful of his six pack. Josh was heartbreaker number one. Black hair, blue-green eyes that searched everything - and everyone if it was in the female variety, or if it was a guy, usually finding his weak spot - his body clad in black. A leather jacket draped casually over one arm. They were all muscles, my boys, as well as brains - e-hem excluding Josh. What was the saying? _Looks and brains? A deadly combination._ Isaac was a little on the plain side, but his eyes were deadly. They were completely black, with a thin line of green which you could only see in the most sunniest of days, he hardly ever said a word and could keep a secret eyes closed. You never knew in what mood he was in because his expression was blank _all the time._ But we loved him. Adam and Paul looked a little alike. Both blonde with back streaks in their hair, both green eyed and they both had a temper. Back in Phoenix, they were the most wanted in our school. If some spray painting had been done, they were first on the suspects list, if some innocent boy had been attacked, or bullied, or threatened they were always first suspects. Jesse stopped looking outside and turned his killer eyes on me, "Does it rain here _all the time?"_

"Wow Jesse. Glad to see you, too." he smiled and enveloped me into a giant bear hug. I always took the chance when he hugged me to smell him, because he smelled fantastically good. Like soap and after shave. Only I knew that he didn't use a whole bottle in two days like SOME people, a.k.a Mike Newton.

"Oh my God, how did you guys get in?"

"Jesse has the I-am-the-sexiest-thing-you-have-ever-seen-and-you-know-it thing down pat, girl. He had the reception woman tongue tied in seconds." Josh supplied  
"No way" I laughed.

"Way and he LIED, saying he was your brother down for a visit. And we were cousins. She didn't even check your profile thingy to see that it was true. All Jesse had to do was look mortally bored and hot, and she was hushing us in a nano second." I laughed. Josh was always the same. I noticed Adam and Paul glaring at someone from where we stood, and I peered over their massive shoulders. Jess, her nose bandaged and a massive bruise had just entered the cafeteria. She saw me sniggering at her and she stomped towards me. My Phoenix friends parted respectfully, and let her through. She looked at me and then screeched in a horrible nasal voice which had Josh in fits of laughter, "Look what you did!! You COW! You broke my nose! You COW I hate you!" my friends lost their respectfulness at the first 'cow' she yelled at me. Adam stepped forward threateningly, "Oi, you got a problem? Leave off Bella, I bet what she did to you, you deserved it. She doesn't go hitting random people." this made Josh wince, because I _did _hit him for no reason.

Jessica looked shocked and took a step back. She looked at all of them in turn and her eyes rested on Isaac. His eyes were black and menacing, daring her o go on insulting me. She spun round and walked away, her hips swaying, trying to get them to notice her. But too late. They already hated her.

I sat in biology, waiting for the door to open, and Edward stride in. but it didn't. Jesse and the gang had left to go sign in at their hotel in Port Angeles. So I was all alone.

The shock on Jessica's face when she saw the Gang from Phoenix was hilarious and I could feel her glaring at me from the back of the class where she sat with Michael, Lauren and Angela. So, yeah I wasn't surprised when a ball of paper hit the back of my head. I picked it up and opened it.

_Where'd you get the money to pay the actors, Phoenix?_ I twisted round to glare at Jessica and her posse. Michael looked sad and bored with Jessica's continuous whispering in his ear. He saw me glaring and smiled a little to show that he was on my side. Lauren was sitting back, her arms crossed fashionably across her light blue sweater and a smug smile making up the features of bitchiness. I spun back around and glared at the paper, thinking about something witty to write back. When it came to me, the bell rang and the class headed off to gym, as I hung back so the teacher could sign my slip. He smiled at me gently, and said quietly, "Bella Swan, you are a very talented young lady and I know what Jess can be like. Don't let it get to you as much as it should, OK? Ignore when you can and hit her when their isn't another choice. I back you up for the whole nose breaking incident. I find your friends from Phoenix quite interesting." I smiled and whispered a quiet thanks as he handed the slip back to me.

I entered gym with a feeling of victory. Jessica was whining at the top of her voice – maybe at the top of her NASAL voice – about the boring game of basketball we were currently playing. I walked into the playing area, my shorts and shirt tight but not in a voluntary condition. The school didn't have the uniform in the next size up. A few guys at the end of the gym wolf whistled and I winked at them on purpose, making Michael narrow his eyes and hit one of the guys, who was staring at my legs, around the head.

I laughed and Lauren glanced up from the pathetic dribbling she was supposed to practice, her mouth falling open as she saw Todd Jefferson – her long term boyfriend – wink and whistle at me in a appreciative manner. (**A/N: I made up the long term boyfriend thingy, did Lauren have a boyfriend? Coz I REALLY can't remember.**)

During the rest of the game, Lauren tried to hit me, trip me up and inflicting long term damage and never succeeding once.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

I walked to my truck and did my best to ignore the familiar voice of someone calling my name in a musical voice.

"BELLA! Wait! Please?"

"Go away you Jackass!!" I shouted right back. Edward could run as fast as light when there weren't humans about - except me – but that was impossible to do in a parking lot jam packed with people. He made to my side in a minute, panting heavily – fake of course, vampires don't pant – and tried to make a grab for my arm, "Aw, come one Bella! I'm sorry I didn't meet you, but it took longer than I thought!" I was walking with Michael so he had no idea what we were on about.

"Longer than you thought? It took you _two fricking hours_, man! If you don't know how to lie to a girl, don't even attempt it then!"

"I know you don't really hate me." He whispered in my ear, which made Rosalie and Emmett start in shock. It was unnatural to see a vampire this close to a human. Especially without biting. I shook my head vehemently, "You're right. I don't hate you but I AM pissed of at you." Edward sighed and took my arm, spinning me round so he could wrap me into one of his rib crushing hugs. Michael stared in disbelief. I bet it was the first times that he saw one of the Cullen's – especially the hottest one – have physical contact with someone outside their family. He snorted in disgust and left with a muttered, "I'll call you tonight Bells." I choked out a, "uh-huh." And hugged Edward back. He finally let me go, when he saw that the students in the parking lot had gone silent and was all staring. He laughed quietly so only I could hear and said, "I'll see you tonight." And headed off towards his shiny grey Volvo. Emmett pinched his arm hard, but smiled. Rosalie looked as a bitchy as ever and Alice and Jasper smiled and waved at me from where they sat in the backseats. I waved back and got into my truck, starting the engine loudly, and reversed out of the parking lot, giving Jessica's little Volkswagen beetle and extra little bump. My biology teacher laughed when he saw this and waved me away.

"Bella?" my father called. I was in such a good mood that I didn't care what Charlie said about my behaviour today in school.

He walked into the kitchen stretching his legs and muttering, "Mmm, Bella that smells good." I was cooking Spaghetti Bolognese. Did I forget to mention that I LOVED cooking? Behind my bad attitude, yes I did have a soft spot. or maybe a few. And one of these soft spots was for cooking.

"Sorry dad, but I was so sick of take-away and trash food that I thought maybe something cooked was a nice change." My father laughed and then sat down. I gave him a plate of pasta, the top falked with parmesan cheese.

"Bella, I heard from your school."

"Dad-"

"Don't worry, I'm not angry."

"Yes but-"

"Bella. I just want to know the facts OK? Why did you hit Jessica?" I sat down in the seat facing him and sighed.

"Well . . . She. . . She provoked me, Dad." he stopped eating for a minute and just stared in shock.

"What?"

"Well, honey, Jessica doesn't exactly remind me of the _provoking _type. Did you do something to provoke her, making _her _lash out at you back?" I thought for a minute and sighed again when I understood.

"Well, she's had a crush on Michael since, like, forever and he asked me to the dance before he asked her when I turned him down. And then theirs Edward . . ." I trailed off, expecting him to go on another of his rants. But he stayed silent, chewing on his spaghetti.

"Wow Bella, if you cook like this when you are in trouble, get in trouble frequently please." I laughed and was relieved by the change of subject. Was he going to be this nice when he found out I was going to sneak out tonight, steal his Police car and drive to the Port Angeles Hotel? Was he going to be this forgiving?? I do not think so. I finished my pasta and cleared the plates away, making sure to wash then and clean the kitchen so Charlie was going to be at peace with me until he woke up and found my bed in the same condition it was this morning – neat and tidy - and his car gone.

Oh well. He would understand, right? I mean, I hadn't seen the gang from Phoenix since I moved here and that was two months ago. It felt like I was throwing myself into a death sentence, but did I care? Not one bit.

I snuck out of the window of my bedroom, jumping onto the branch of the tree that brushed my windowsill. I small voice in my head growled, _what are you doing? Get down from their, Bella!_ Shockingly, the voice wasn't mine, but the sweet velvet voice of Edward Cullen.

_Yeah right._ I thought. I was getting so obsessed with Edward that I could even _hear _what he would've said in that particular moment; ignoring the voice, I gripped onto the branch as tightly as I could and hauled myself up, banging my head on the next branch up.

I rubbed the sore spot and tried to figure a way of climbing down the tree without breaking any bones. A cold wind whistled through the brown leaves, they shivered, small clumps of these leaves twirling down to the grass below. I looked out from the branch in front of me and saw, with amazement, how beautiful the town looked. It was nearly Christmas; all the lights were up, dancing around the rooftops. The stars were out glinting beautifully in the sky. My breath stuck in my throat making me gasp. I suddenly wished Edward was here to see this beautiful moment. He was all for these things. Anything scientific fascinated him something rotten.

"I _am _here." A sweet breath whispered in my ear. I jumped and moved slowly so I didn't fall, to see who was their.

"Edward? How did you get here? I thought you said you couldn't read my thoughts?" I gasped. Oh my God how embarrassing. He chuckled, cupping my chin in his stone cold hands.

"It was written clearly on your face that you wanted someone to witness this moment," he whispered. His sweet breath tickling my face. In that moment I completely forgot where I was supposed to go. He laughed again and brushed his lips against my cheek.

"I'm a vampire, Bella, the source of silence, didn't you know?" he asked. I shook my head just a fraction. I had lost my voice. The only time this happened was when Robert Newbury had kissed me, then invited me to the school dance. I didn't know, of course, what he was actually capable of. I hadn't known that when he said _will you go to the dance with me? _He also meant that their was a hotel room booked above the dance hall with a double bed for us two. I hadn't known than that when he asked those eight words he also meant dancing in the bed with him. My stomach churned at the thought.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, his voice silky and smooth.

"Doesn't it h-hurt you, b-being so close like this?" I stuttered in reply. I hadn't meant to put him off.

"Does it bother you?" he asked, releasing my chin from his cold grip.

"No! no of course it doesn't! only, you know . . . if you need to feed, I'm not going to be the human to stand in your way." He gave a low laugh, like what I had just said was the most amusing thin he had ever heard,

"Bella, honey, do you really think that if I was thirsty, I would be here with you?" I shook my head. What had he called me? Did he call me 'honey'? maybe I _did _mean something more to him than just a friend.

_He probably calls his sister honey, Bella. Don't get your hopes up. He's been around for a couple of centuries now. How many hearts must've he broken?_ A sly voice whispered. That voice was probably right.

Edward looked at me oddly, with those beautiful eyes of his. Could he read my mind? I realised he hadn't answered my question.

"I thought you said you couldn't read my mind?" Edward nodded and said, "When I first tried . . . their seemed to be a protective barrier around your thoughts that I could not enter, which brought great pain when I tried."

"Oh! The first or second lesson in biology!" I gasped.

"Yes. And the second time I tried it hurt lee, because you had let your guard down. But I still couldn't read your thoughts, but . . . just then, when you thought of me," I blushed. Damn my embarrassment! He smiled and continued,

"When you thought of me, you weren't as protective of yourself as you thought. So I could sense what you were thinking."

"But you were at home! Miles away!"

"Not miles, exactly, but I guess I could enter your mind because I was thinking of _you _at the same time." I blushed again.

"You better go now, Bella. I don't want to keep your friends waiting." He stroked my cheek again and left, whispering a soft 'see you tomorrow'.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17.**

They were upset that I came in late. Josh pouted like a miserable little boy, and Jesse didn't even look at me.

"Aw, come on guys! You have to let me have a private life, too! You're not the only one that wants a love life, Josh." Josh growled, suddenly jealous.

"And you, Jesse. Hadn't you said 'I want you to be happy'?" I smiled at them, sitting on the wide sofa that the suite had in the Port Angeles Hotel. Josh lay his head in my lap, and moaned,

"No, you can't. I want you to be my special girl forever. Who's this guy, anyway? He can't be better than me, right?" he rolled over so his head was still in my lap, but he could actually see my face.

"Well, his name is Edward Cullen . . ." I saw Isaacs head snap up, his dark eyes staring at me. Josh sighed and clocked Isaac staring at me.

"Oi! Stop looking at my girl!" I laughed and Isaac looked back down at the magazine he was reading, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Go on." Jesse mumbled.

"Well, he's very nice and funny, and he trusts me! And he is nothing like Robert Newbury. If I don't want to do something he's fine with it and lets me choose, and when need to talk he's always their for me. When I was upset by what Jess Stanley had said about you guys, he made me see sense and he never abandoned me." I directed the final bit at Adam. He glanced up from the Play Station and said, "WHAT! I told you a thousand . . ."

"I know, Adam! But you still did it, didn't you? So whatever! I don't care anymore. It was all in the past." I stroked Josh's black hair off his face and he smiled. Adam sighed in defeat and went back to the complicated looking game he was playing. Jesse smiled and relaxed a little, "OK, so what has this guy that is not perfect? He's funny, sweet, and trustworthy, he likes you . . ." he winked at me.

"He's not as perfect as he might sound." I mumbled. I had nothing against him being a vampire; it only scared me that I might be the human standing in his way when he was thirsty. He had told me they – his family and him – didn't drink from human blood, but he also told me that if he was so thirsty, nothing could stop him. Not only him, but the whole vampire population. I hadn't known that their were more vampires other than him and his family, so when he said this, I was little bit shocked. He had laughed at my expression, patting me on the arm. The day he told me, Emmett was with him as well, and they both punched each others fists. I had huffed and looked away, trying to seem like I was so utterly bored. Emmett didn't mind that I knew their secret, but what really hurt was the way Rosalie acted . . . like I was some kind of horrid disease she might catch.

"What do you mean by that? And what had Jessica Stanley said that made you _cry_?" Josh asked.

"Edward has a secret that only I know. Sorry guys, I can't tell you until he says I can-"

"What? So he's giving you orders now?!" Paul growled.

"No he isn't. God, it's not like you guys don't have secrets! Do you mind if _this _guy has one, too?" I aimed the last part at Josh.

"I didn't say anything!" he whined and pouted. I stroked his hair and he relaxed.

"Jessica had said . . . stuff about you guys that hurt." I whispered.

"Whaddya mean?" they all asked at once.

"That you were no gooders and that you ditched me at the first opportunity you got, and Jesse? They found out about what happened that night." Josh shuddered, for he was the bleeding guy that was in the back seat the night we were joy riding. As I said before. We weren't doing it on purpose. We had a reason. But did the court listen? Nope.

"How did she find out?" he whispered.

"I don't know, Jesse, but she did and now the whole school knows."

"Is that why you were sitting alone?"

"No. I was always sat on my own."

"Not even Mr. Perfect came near you?" I glared at Adam's back.

"He does sit with me! He's got other things to think about beside me, Adam!"

"Like?" he sneered, ready for a fight that he knew I would win.

"His family, perhaps? Just because you don't care where your brother ends up, it doesn't mean other people have to hate theirs too!"

"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU ON? YOU KNOW WHY I DON'T SPEAK WITH MY BROTHER!" Adam was full on yelling at me, now. Standing up, with his hands closed into fists. He took a threatening step toward me.

"What are you going to do, Adam? Hit me? Go on, HIT ME THEN! You COWARD!" Adam growled and through himself at me. Josh moved out of the way with a 'whoa!' and I jumped up, punching Adam in the stomach before he could even lift his arm. He fell to the floor with a gasp like Jess had. Only this time, I didn't break his nose.

This time, I walked out of the room.

I drove home, tears threatening to spill again. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel like crying all the time? And why couldn't Adam be happy for me? For once, I actually felt like somebody cared and he was ready to ruin it all? Why? What was the point in this?

Josh had run after me, Jesse in tow.

"Bella, girl, please wait!" he had yelled. I had ignored him, hating him for not stopping Adam at the appropriate time. He had moved out of the way like a coward.

"Bella, come on! What's wrong with _us? We_ didn't do anything!" I huffed and didn't look around as I walked out of the lobby. I had faintly heard Josh stamping his foot on a chair like a spoilt child, and Jesse calling my name, before he ran out and saw me packing out of the car park with my father's police car.

My phone rang shrilly, bursting into a song by _30 seconds to mars-the kill. _Wow, that song REALLY set the mood. I slowed down, noticing that I was going over 120mph, realising that my Father might _know _that someone stole his car when the gas suddenly ran out.

"Hello?" I answered my phone.

"Bella? It's Edward" the breath caught in my throat as I heard his velvet silky voice rang down the phone with urgency.

"Edward? What's the matter?" my not-so-silky-but-very-husky-voice answered his.

"Bella! Listen, OK? Do not go back to Forks! Werewolves are out all over the place"

"What?" I laughed. OK, so vampires might exist but I don't think werewolves would. You only see those things on _Harry Potter_, not in real every day life!_ You used to think the same thing about vampires, Bella. That they existed only in fairy tales. And guess what? The guy you are in love with is one._ I shuddered.

"Bella? Bella, are you still their? Did you here me? Don't go back"

"Edward! Where the HELL am I _supposed _to go, huh? You tell me! The only place I _can _go is in Port Angeles, and I'm not going there!" the drive over had already nearly sent me into a panic attack. The memories of that night were not what I was looking for.

"Come here, at my place."

"WHAT? No way. Charlie will kill me."

"Bella, honey, he's gonna kill you anyway, OK? You nicked his _car_." He'd called me 'honey' again. I spoke to him, trying to hear myself over the beat of my heart that had suddenly started going into overdrive.

"Yeah, but that's . . . that's different! I'm not allowed to hang out with you, let alone _sleep _around your place."

"Er, right. Well, we'll say that Alice invited you for a slumber party." I heard the faint giggle of a girl from the phone.

"Edward Cullen, how many people are listening?"

"Damn! Er, well theirs Emmett –"

"HEY BELLA!"

"Shut it! Then theirs Alice and Jasper." The giggle got louder.

"And then theirs Esme and Carlisle." I gasped. The WHOLE FAMILY was listening?

"OK, I'm hanging up now." I started to press the red button when Edward spoke again.

"Bells please don't go home. Come 'ere. Please?"

"No."

"It's too dangerous." He said. His voice had turned pleading, and I heard Emmett saying 'gimme the phone, Ed. You have no idea how to handle 'em girls.'

I clicked the phone shut, and headed for home.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18.**

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

"I TRIED, OK?" I yelled. Yeah, so maybe the werewolves weren't in Forks exactly. They were few miles away, but it was still dangerous. Especially for someone so carefree like Bella. The last thing I wanted on my conscience was Bella's death. She knew one of the werewolves – OK; she knew one of the werewolves by _site_, still. .. . - Jacob Black. He'd been on my back ever since he found out we, the Cullen's, knew her. He'd broken the treaty in more than way. By entering the land of vampires (Forks) and talking to one of us, (Me) and making sure _we _were as far away as possible when they attacked. He'd been following and bribing me with huge amounts of money (At least with 3 zeroes at the end). We would've been at war with each other if it wasn't for Carlisle's quick thinking. Bella didn't listen though. She thought I was being funny.

Werewolves. Yes, they are a hilarious matter.

I drove my car to the end of Bella's street where I sat and waited for her to pass. Oh yeah, I was also on the look out for the big bad wolves. I saw Chief Charlie's cruiser pass, and my eyes widened. My fist slammed into the steering wheel. _Idiot! OF COURESE Bella wasn't going to use her truck! Wow, where's your intelligence gone??_ I yelled to myself. Could I be more stupid? My door slammed as I walked towards Bella. She was standing motionlessly near the car, looking out toward the forest. I walked quietly towards her. Well, I walk quietly _anyway_ so that wasn't the problem. The problem was to walk towards her and not give her a heart attack.

"I told you not to come back." I said gruffly. Bella jumped and turned around to stare at me.

"I know. It's not like I'm going to leave Charlie on his own, am I?" she hissed. I stared angrily back. What was she thinking? It was in these moments that I really wanted the gift of listening to _her _thoughts. Alice had told me what she saw in her vision.

Nothing. She couldn't see the wolves, in consequence, she couldn't see Bella's future if she was with him. I growled in frustration, and turned slightly away from her. Her hand instantly reached out to calm me, but I brushed it away, angrily. How could she be so reckless? How could she not care about her future? She didn't know what was waiting for her of she entered the house. One thing Alice was sure of.

The house was supposed to be the most dangerous place for Bella, right now, and we had to do everything in our power to protect her. But will she listen? NO, she wouldn't. She was stubborn and thought that she knew everything there was to understand about us vampires.

"Edward, please don't be mad. I had a really bad night, and the last thing I feel like doing is move house. Right now, I want to go to sleep and never wake up." She sighed, and I turned slightly toward her, leaning on the cruiser. I kept my eyes on the forest, for that is where Alice said her vision was based on. She couldn't see the wolves – or who was with them – but she could see their surroundings.

Bella sighed, frustrated and walked towards her front porch. I caught up with her in less than a second and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her off her feet and crushing her to my chest.

"If you don't want to sleep at m place, then I'll watch the house." I said into her hair. The scent was killing me inside. Fresh venom flowed into my mouth, and I had an urge to spit it out. But I didn't do it. Instead I breathed in hard, letting the venom mix with my saliva so it wasn't harmful when I swallowed. Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and muttered, "God, I can't believe how crap this night had turned into." Pushing her away slightly, I looked at her face, which was pale in the moonlight. Her eyes were a bit red around the edges. Her moth looked inviting, but I didn't let myself get carried away. She looked at me and I smiled.

"You don't want to go through the door, Bella. Charlie isn't sleeping so heavily as before. I'll take you up to the window." She smiled and said, "It's OK, can you just help me up the tree?" Rolling my eyes to the sky, I picked her up and walked toward the side of the house. She held on tight as I buried my nails deep into the wood and pulled myself up effortlessly. Climbing onto the branch nearest her room, I dropped her near the windowsill. Bella struggled with the opening, and the window sighed as it opened. She climbed in like an expert and pulled me in after her. I stumbled, but regained my balance in a second. It was dark but I knew where she was. Lying face down on her bed, breathing hard and fighting the tears. Sitting beside her, I pulled her onto my lap and cradled her head to my chest, while she cried.

"What happened?" I whispered. I didn't want Charlie to arrest me for breaking and entering, did I? Coz that's what I did.

"Nothing. Adam was being his usual asshole self."

"But you never cried." It wasn't a question.

"No. but I guess I wasn't expecting him to be such a _monster_." I flinched and she muttered a quick sorry.

"It's OK. It doesn't bother me as much as it used to. You know, Adam is really upset for what he did. He's shouting to himself in his head."

"Huh. He can come and say sorry, but I know he won't. The coward." So much hurt and anger was in her voice that it surprised me. I was used to her being expressionless, and toneless for that matter. Or sometimes she was happy so I knew exactly what she was thinking. I only had to read her face.

She finally fell asleep around one in the morning and I left through the window.

Cold morning air cut at my face – or felt like it – as I ran through the dark streets toward the Cullen home. I wasn't worried about the werewolves anymore. They were gone, I could sense it, and their smell was far away now. Too hard to track, but that didn't concern me.

"Edward, you can't keep being so late!" Carlisle stormed as soon as I entered. I shrugged in response.

"I know you don't need sleep, but running around all night, trying to find a mere _human girl _can cause you to have some real problems with your feeding times."

"Wow, Carlisle. You make I sound like we are four year old or something" Alice giggled while she skipped down the stairs. Seventeen or not, she acted like a six year old sometimes. But not in an annoying way.

"Alice, weren't you supposed to be _researching_?" I muttered.

"I'm ALL done." She laughed.

"Yippee," I snorted, "Carlisle I have not been running around all night for Bella," I emphasized the word, "But I have been checking the town for any signs of werewolf attacks."

"Yeah, like they're going to leave signs for you, Ed." Rosalie muttered, from her seat on the couch, snuggled under my brother's arm. I growled at her. Of course Rosalie never had something nice to say, did she? Emmett winked at me slyly from over her head before planting a kiss on her lips. Urgh. I hate it when my brother smooches with Rosalie in front of me. Rub it in further will ya? I sighed and sat next to them, flipping through the channels aimlessly until I found something interesting.

Ooh, a documentary on dogs and their pasts. I looked at a massive black wolf, tearing its way through the forest. The man was talking about it like it was the most fascinating subject he could choose. Couldn't he talk about a war? Or the _titanic_? Even _that _was more interesting. Why were humans so stupid and boring?

I fell asleep, my head on Emmett's free arm, a little after two. This was weird, because we vampires don't sleep. Maybe Carlisle was right and I was exhausting my energy? I moaned as Emmett moved me from his arm into his lap and walked quietly to my room, where he lay me on my massive bed.

Urgh, embarrassing much? I hadn't fallen asleep in my brother's arm since forever. The last time it happened I was burning with fever passed on from Tanya's vampire clan (**A/N: in the book they suffer from no diseases at all, but I wanted to make him have one disease other than the one that nearly killed him.**)

I slept the night away.

I went down to the living room where I recalled leaving my jacket the other night. Carlisle was sitting on the couch, a worried look on his young face.

"I don't think it's prudent for you to go to school today, Edward."

"Why?" I asked. My face fell, I could feel it.

"The way you slept last night wasn't normal. I think it might have something to do with your forgetting to feed every now and then."

"I'm fine"

"Edward, how long haven't you been feeding?"

"Dunno, a week maybe?" I sank heavily into the armchair opposite.

"Your eyes a very black, kid. I don't want you to do something you might regret. Stay home today, please."

"But-"

"Your human girl will live for one day without you." He got up and went to the kitchen where I could hear him banging around, in one of his moods. Esme was trying to reassure him with her thoughts and not succeeding. Emmett was leaning casually against the doorframe. He smiled when he saw my crushed look and sat at my feet, "Ed, do you want me to pass a message onto Bella for you?"

"Hah. The only thing I want to say to her is impossible."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I want to explain. About the werewolves, about what I feel for her and stuff but I can't"

"Aw, man. You see with Rosalie their was no problem oz she's one of us but for Bella . . . would you mind if she sat with us today?" I shook my head grinning. I'll see her tonight anyway, and then I could talk to her.

"I like her, Ed. She seems decent enough. Not like Tanya's friend Christine. The word skank fits a perfect description for her." I laughed and said,

"Emmett, I told you that nothing happened between us. She was too pushy. I didn't like her that much."

Laughing, I was reassured that Bella was going to have company at lunch and protected all the way through the day.


	19. Chapter 19

**SOZ GUYS, BUT THEIR REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING I CAN WRITE FOR EDWARD. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, SEND ME A MESSAGE.**

**CHAPTER 19.**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

I noticed Edward staring at my lips the other night and remembered that he had called me 'honey' again. Even if it was only for persuasion, but still . . .

I had a feeling that he wasn't going to be in school today, and when I parked my truck, I saw Rosalie's red Porsche, Alice's red Porsche. Emmett must've taken a ride with Alice or Rosalie because his car was nowhere to be found. Jacob black had called this morning really early, and at first I couldn't remember who he was – after all, I had only seen him once - and he had told me that he remembered me from when we were little. Slowly, I recalled a small boy, his black hair shoulder length and tied up in a ponytail, playing with a toy truck. I was running after him, my jeans torn and muddy from where we were playing in the woods. I also remembered the way he used to look up at me with his big baby blue eyes (**A/N: er, can't remember his eye colour.**) I tried to push him out of my thoughtd and headed for bio.

The messages started again in bio.

_Oi, you haven't answered my question in the 1__st__ place, you cow. How much did you pay them?_ Sighing heavily, I ignored the message and wished strongly that Edward was here. I wanted to scream, I wanted to feel his arms tight around my shoulders, and I wanted to feel his cold lips in my hair or on my cheek. I wanted him near me.

I know it might sound so _babyish_ to want someone so badly beside you when you were getting picked on, but could you blame me? My life was turning from bad to worse with every minute of the day. I turned around to glare at Jessica and met Emmett's friendly gaze. The biggest of the Cullen family, Emmett's soft feelings turned him into a giant teddy bear. Now I understood Edwards' eagerness when his brother invited him to do anything.

The bell rang for the end of bio, and I started to pack slowly my books away.

"Er, do you mind if I talk to you a sec? Before Rosalie sees and bites my head off?" looking up startled, I met Emmett's friendly smile. I nodded and he took the seat next to me.

"OK, so Edward couldn't come in today, I really don't know what's up with 'im but he fell asleep last night and Carlisle thought it wasn't normal, so he kept him home. But as a gentleman, I would like to invite you to have lunch with us. If you accept of course." He sighed a huge sigh of relief and looked at me. He'd been staring at his massive white hands before, and his eyes were embarrassed and worried when he looked at me. I was silent.

"Look, this is really hard for me, so if it's no could you please kill me faster? I'm dying of embarrassment, here. I haven't done this in, like, half a century. And I'm sorry to say this, but you smell awfully good." I laughed then, and he joined in. I knew it pained him to be around me, so I wasn't going to keep him for long.

"Emmett, of course I'll join you at lunch! And don't worry in the future. You can throw a paper ball at me with an invitation." I said this while looking pointedly at the paper ball Jessica had thrown me, lying on the floor. He laughed and got up to go, obviously relieved. Rosalie was at the door waiting for him, and when he set eyes on her, he looked suddenly scared. He patted my shoulder with so much strength that it nearly had me toppling over, and Emmett shuffled towards Rosalie, a sad boy look on his face, eyes on his feet. She laughed when he wrapped his arms around her and sped away.

Alice caught up with me while I was making my way to Spanish. She giggled excitedly and linked arms with me. Alice looked a lot like a seventeen year old, but she acted like a six year old sometimes, not in an unpleasant way.

My head started spinning and I had to lean against a wall.

"Oh Bella! I am so sorry!" Alice put a beautiful white hand over her red lips as she saw me leaning heavily against the wall, staring at her bewildered.

"What? You didn't do this! My head's been hurting for a while now. Well, not constantly, but sometimes I feel really dizzy."

"I know." I stared at her some more.

"You feel ill, because I, Edward or another Cullen had tried to enter your thoughts. Edward told me he felt like all the breath had rushed out of his body when he encountered this barrier you formed around your thoughts."

"Yeah, he said something about that to me, too." Alice shook her head thoughtfully, and sighed while I stood upright again.

"Alice? We're going to be late. Come on."

"When on earth do you care if we are late or not?"

I laughed, "True. But I don't want a detention, and I don't think Edward is going to be _too _happy if you end up in detention with me."

"Ooh, yay. Bad Bella!" She squealed. I wondered briefly if it pained her as much as it did to Emmett to be around me. My thoughts were out of the window when Alice yanked my arm and ran with me to Spanish.

"CULLEN! SWAN! WHY ARE YOU LATE?" my Spanish teachers booming voice greeted us as we entered the class. Jessica snickered and draped arm around Mike's shoulders, who shrugged her off ungratefully. She huffed and linked arms with him instead.

"Sorry sir, but Bella and I had some unfinished business to attend to." Jasper burst into laughter and Alice shot him A Look. He was silent, but his shoulders quivered from sustained laughter.

"That is not an excuse, Cullen. Jasper! Be silent!" the teacher banged around, slamming books on tables as we slinked past to our seats. Jasper moved for Alice, and she slapped him round the head playfully when he laughed again. I sat in the only spare seat.

"Ooh, look what the wind blew in." Jessica greeted me.

"Look what the cat dragged in." I snarled right back. She laughed mischievously and snuggled against Mike's arm. He gave me an alarmed look, and I shrugged. Huh, he could handle her.

"You know, Swan, I am ever so surprised that you _did _find someone who would accept your dirty money." Her nose bandage was off, and all that remained of my damage was disgusting purple bruise that was covered badly by a couple of layers of foundation. Mike shushed her and leaned forward so he could hear what Todd Jefferson had to say. Todd looked at me and winked, trying to catch a glimpse of my legs under the black jeans. I kicked his hand away, hard enough to make him yelp. I thought he would tell, like most of the boys – except the Cullen's – would've done. Instead he leered at me, and whispered in Laurens ear, which shot a disgusted look at him and glared at me. I smiled my I-am-such-a-sweet-girl-but-my-smile-can-kill smile. She looked around quickly, eyes wild.

I laughed softly to myself.

"OK, class. Let's repeat: _soy, usted es, ella es . . ._"

I laughed to myself again as Alice threw me a note saying, _Ella es un idiota.__** She is and idiot – luv Alicexx **_


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20.**

I was not looking forward to lunch, maybe a little. But I kept imagining it with Rosalie glaring at me, and Emmett trying to calm her down. Alice of course was sure that nothing like that would happen she didn't have a vision though or anything. She just said, 'I know what Rosalie is capable of.' Apparently she wasn't capable of hating and glaring at me if Emmett kissed her enough times.

"you see, Rosalie is so obsessed by her own beauty, that if you even _look_ at her boyfriend, she could kill you with a look, but if Emmett stops her by doing some very naughty things during fourth hour which is study period for the seniors . . ." Alice shrugged as if she didn't care about what they did. I knew, though, that she was curious as to why Edward wouldn't tell her. He could read Emmett's thoughts as easily as she could read the future.

"So . . . what's up between you and Edward lately?" she asked as we lined up for our food. Hers, I knew, would go untouched.

"Er, nothing why?" I blushed, giving myself away.

"Well, he seemed to be _very _eager to come to school today." She gave me a pointed look.

"Huh, theirs nothing going on, as far as I know."

"Then why do I see you two together a lot in the near future?" she whispered. Jasper had joined us, and Edward had told me he had a 'very acute hearing' TRANSLATION: don't talk about something you don't want to share with somebody else. His mind is opened to everybody.

"God, I don't know. We're friends." _And I want to be more_, I added silently. Thank God she couldn't read my mind. Embarrassing or what? I blushed again.

The image of his stone cold lips brushing my cheek haunted me every night and every day. The way his fingers caressed my cheek, and threaded through my hair sent shivers down my spine, and the way he called me honey like the most natural thing in the world, like every body should call me that, made me want him more.

I knew that it was a one way thing. He obviously thought me as his sister. I heard him call Alice honey once.

"He doesn't _act _like you are _just friends._" My head snapped up at Rosalie's cold voice. Another shiver ran down my spine, but this was in a more unpleasant way. Emmett stroked her arm lovingly, and she rested against him. Her tray was laden with fruit and a ceaser salad. Emmett's tray was much more interesting. I couldn't understand why they spent so much money on food, when they didn't need to eat. Jasper seemed to read my thoughts and answered,

"We need to seem inconspicuous to the others. What's the point in acting 'freakish' when we can act human?" he threw a cherry tomato in the bin beside the door.

"Not that way, Jasper." He laughed a warm laugh and I smiled back. My phone rang shrilly, interrupting Emmett's easy laughter and joking around. I looked at the screen and groaned in annoyance. Adam's name flashed insistently on the screen.

"I told you to piss off, Adam!" I hissed into the phone, walking out of the cafeteria for a little privacy.

"I know, I know. Can we talk? Please?" he pleaded.

"Adam, I know what you have to say. I know you're sorry, but this time it's gone too far."

"I KNOW! For crying out loud, I know! What I don't want you to do is grow up! Turn in to a different person I would hardly recognize! I don't want to be alone." He whispered the last bit.

"You won't be." I reassured him. He sounded so needy that I would be there for him, he was _pleading_. Adam never pleads. Not even when his car had been confiscated, he had let it go.

"Oh, won't I?" he sneered, "Let me make you a list. Jesse is eighteen nearly nineteen and he's _in love_. He might get married one day, and who knows? He might even forget us. Josh is so up himself he can barely look away from a mirror, and he has all the girls from our school head over heels, for him. And Isaac? He hardly speaks the whole time! It's like he's not even their!" he hissed silently between his teeth when he was done.

"Adam? Why are you so insecure? It's not like you!" I asked. I was seriously worried now. Adam never acted so needy in his_ life_.

"I don't know!" he wailed, "I feel dead inside OK? It's like this . . . this giant monster is growing, ruining everything that I ever had! Making you feel so bad you started crying and you never cry! Acting like a jerk with Tiffany, going behind her back with her _sister_, in a way more than obvious that I wasn't faithful." Tiffany had been his long term girlfriend. He was seriously in love, talking about her non-stop. Calling her to say good night in the evening and good morning in the morning. Taking her out to the movies or dinner on a Saturday night, and a nice lunch on Sunday.

"You _cheated _onTiffany? Why? You loved her!"

"I know. I don't know why I did it. It was a one night stand, and of course Jasmine – her sister – couldn't keep her mouth shut and told all of her friends by e-mail."

"What did it say?" I asked, miffed.

"Er, something like _wow, best night of my life. Went to bed with the most amazing God ever!_"

"How did Tiffany know it was you, though?"

"The cow attached a photo of me. The one of my arm wrapped around Tiffany's shoulders. She cut the part of Tiffany and left me, leaning against the car."

"I remember that one." He sounded sorry. About everything. I sighed and whispered, "Give me her number."

"Bella, it's too late. She's going out with someone called Steve Riley."

"Just give me the number." He sulked and said the number slowly, twice, so I could hear it and have time to write it down on my arm.

"I'll put things right, don't worry." I said.

"And with us? Are we OK, now?" he was begging again.

"I don't know Adam. I'll think about it, and in the mean time, I'll e-mail you with Tiffany's call answer." I hung up feeling dead inside. I had been friends with Adam for a long time, and it really hurt to turn him down like that. He sounded truly depressed when I told him to piss off. And the last thing I was going to do was let him tear himself apart over what happened with Tiffany. I was going to repair it.

I drove home feeling weirdly eager. I knew Edward would be in my room, waiting for me. I knew he would love to give me another lesson on werewolves and similar things, I would love his company, listening him talk about the things he studied in the past with great excitement. Edward had changed me, whether my friends liked it or not. He had shown me he was interested in me for _me._ And not because I was fresh meat in an otherwise boring school.

"Bella?" Charlie's voice rang out from the living room. He was sitting inches away from the T.V screen.

"Who else, Dad?" I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. I heard him chuckle then give a loud 'yes!' as his team scored some kind of goal. I sighed and made my way upstairs.

Edward was sitting on my childhood rocking chair, looking out of the window, thoughtful.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hey" I dropped my bag on the bed and went to stand beside him, "How are you feeling? Emmett told me you . . ."

"Oh, I'm fine now. I had been, um, studying too hard." He didn't look at me as he said this. I groaned and pulled him to his feet. He gave in after a fight – man, he's hard to drag! – And he let me tow him to the bed, where I could sit next to him and look at his face.

"Edward, I might not know you from long, but I do know when you're lying. And you're doing it now." He looked at me, his beautiful face was expressionless, his topaz eyes cold and unfriendly. I looked away from his eyes, suddenly hurt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to . . . pry." I mumbled. Getting to my feet, I brushed of my jeans and started unpacking my school bag. I placed my books on the desk, and sat down. Sighing as I read through my algebra equations.

_2xXy4y/5?_

A pair of stone cold arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders as Edward breathed in my hair, his long fingers drawing circles in my sides.

"Bella, honey, don't be angry, OK? Carlisle said it might be nothing serious. He just wanted to keep me under control just in case I . . . exploded. When we are too thirsty, it's too dangerous for us to be around humans."

"Why were you too thirsty?" I whispered, tracing my fingers along his hard white knuckles. He chuckled softly and kissed the top of my head.

"I'd been keeping my . . ._ vampire _needs at bay, so I could see you more often. I didn't feed for three days." He confesses. I gasped and twisted round to look at his face.

"Are you thirsty now?" I asked nervously. Not because I was scared to be the human standing in his way, but because I noticed how close we were, are lips inches from each other's faces. He laughed and said, "Bella, do you really think I'd be here with you if I were?" I shook my head, suddenly speechless. Edward looked at me, scrutinizing my face, trying to read my expression. Thank God he couldn't read my thoughts.

Edward smiled and leaned in toward me, closing the gap between us in a few breaths . . .


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21.**

The door slammed open to reveal my father's furious face. Edward jumped half a mile into the air before disappearing. Charlie didn't see a thing.

"Bella! Who are you talking to? Is somebody in here?" he stomped around, opening and closing my wardrobe doors so hard, that I had a feeling it would come off its hinges. He yanked my sweater drawer open and slammed it shut again. Yeah, like I would hide someone in there.

I sat, arms crossed over my chest, and a scowl adorning my face. Charlie glanced at me and blushed.

"Sorry. Your mother told me about your, um, _guests._" I laughed. I remember when Josh used to sneak in my room at night so I could solve his love problems.

"Um, Dad? I haven't had _guests_ in my room since I was in Phoenix, OK? Relax, I'm not an idiot."

"You're a rebel, though." He muttered. A _what_?!? How DARE he? I might be a rebel but who cares? I LIKED having people fear me. I WANTED people to fear me after what happened with Robert . . . might I deserve some fun? So Josh used to sneak in my room. It DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING!

"Oh My God. I can't believe you just _said that_!" Charlie stared at me, suddenly confused, "Why would you think I had someone in my room? I was on the PHONE! You know, Dad, I _do _have a social life! Something you seem to lack." I stood up and nodded towards the door. He took the hint and left, shoulders sagging in obvious relief. I grabbed my phone and glanced at the screen which was off. Thank God he didn't want to look, or I had some explaining to do.

Edward was at my side at once, "I'm sorry I didn't warn you, hon. I didn't eve have time to warn _myself._" I shrugged and sat on my bed, shoulders sagging. What would've happened between us if Charlie hadn't interrupted? Damn! I ripped a piece of paper out of my Spanish book and scrawled angrily on it

Knock, and wait!!!

Edward laughed when he saw me pinning the sign to the door. He wrapped his arms around me and led me back inside the room, where he proceeded to kiss my hair, my cheek, and any other part of my face. No way did he do this to Alice. I tipped my head back, waiting until his lips found mine. He laughed and kissed me softly. I stood completely still as wave after wave of emotion flew around my body. I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

He pulled away abruptly, and smiled. I didn't understand his sudden abruptness. Had I done something wrong? He stroked my arms lovingly and looked away from my face, murmuring, "Too strong, too strong." I looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean? To strong?" he looked at me and leaned forward, brushing his cold lips against the side of my mouth. He sighed when I didn't respond, in obvious relief. I growled at him and glared at the closed window. Rain was coming down outside like there was no tomorrow.

"Bella, you can't kiss me like I'm some other human. I might be physically strong, but you are mentally strong, leading me into something that could . . . kill you." He whispered the last bit, hoping I wouldn't hear. I growled again and stomped to the window.

"Did you just _growl_?" he laughed. I joined him and in a minute we were wrapped up in each other's arms. He whispered things in my hair that made me blush.

"How hard is it to become a, um, a vampire?" I murmured in his chest. Edward froze and held me at arms length, studying my face curiously.

"What?"

"How hard-''

"Yeah, I get that part, but _what_? Are you insane?" he shook me roughly, making my teeth bang together noisily.

"Why am I insane?" I laughed. What was wrong in wanting to become one of them? I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life, I know understood. But how could I do that if one day I'll become old and die? I want to be with him for the rest of my existence. This wasn't a teen love thing. This was the real thing for me.

"Do you realise what you just asked? You're wishing your life away!"

"Edward, I just asked how hard it was!"

"Oh, don't give me that crap! I know what's behind the innocent look, OK? Deep down you want to be one of us! A . . . a monster!" he let go of my arms like I was something atrociously disgusting.

"Excuse me? So what if I did? What's your glitch?" I snarled. He walked away from me and lay on my bed, groaning softly.

"Bella, honey, we are _not _having this conversation. Not now, not ever." Urgh, why was it so hard for him to understand what I felt? Oh yeah, he's been alive for the past 120 years. How many hearts did he break? How many girls did he leave crying after him? I thought sourly.

"Fine. See if I care. I'm just _human _after all." I threw it back in his face, full force. He gasped like I'd hit him and he sat up to glare at me.

"Does it bother you that I don't want you to be like me? That I want you to be human? Enjoy your life?" I shrugged and stood, my back facing him. He sighed and got up, his arms folding themselves around me.

"Hon, don't be angry. I only want what's best for you, OK?" he kissed my neck; a shiver ran down my spine, "I have to go now. Carlisle will kill me if he finds out I'm gone." I didn't say anything, and he

left, leaving only his sweet smell behind.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22.**

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

"Bella, hon, we are _not _having this conversation, OK? Not now, not ever."_ Was she nuts?_ Was she absolutely, completely, utterly insane? What was wrong with her? I loved her. I was NOT going to turn her into a monster. I wasn't going to do that, if it was the last thing I did. She was cold towards me after that. If she thought she was going to win me round this way, she got it wrong.

Maybe the kiss was a mistake. Maybe the way I kissed her – or the way I abruptly pulled back – made her think I was prepared to do anything that was going to make her happy. I would do everything she wanted that made her happy, but not this. The pain I had suffered was a great lesson for me; I was not going to do the same thing to somebody else. No matter how badly they deserved it, as a punishment or not. I ran through the town, making sure to avoid the rays of sun that broke through the wet clouds. It was still raining, though.

_I hope Bella won't do anything stupid. _I thought

_Aw, Edward, she won't! She seriously likes you, OK? Blushing like there was no tomorrow in the cafeteria today._ Alice giggled. She loved having conversations with me, through thoughts when I wasn't their. It also bugged me. She could give me a detailed picture of something I might not want to see.

_Oh really? Then why did she ask me something so absurd like that today? Did she really think that I would give in after a kiss?_ I growled at her. I slowed down my pace and dived into the forest. I needed to feed, or Carlisle would keep me home tomorrow as well. Alice continued talking to me as I fed off a doe. I wasn't going to clean it out off all of its blood. That would be horrid. But I needed a fair amount if I was going to live through the rest of the week.  
_Edward? Can I ask you something?_

_Shoot._

_Um, how MUCH do you like Bella? On a scale from 1 to 10._

_11. Why?_

_Don't you think it's a bit, um, weird? To love a human so much? _I sighed. She was right. I wanted to kiss Bella, hold her tight at night. I wanted to live with her for the rest of m life, but was that possible? The only way that could happen was if she became one of us. And I wasn't going to oblige.

_Yes. it is weird. I have never felt so strongly about anyone before. It's hard to keep myself from biting her, you know. Her scent is so sweet. But I restrain myself, I swallow the venom._

_Edward, did you share your, um, 1__st__ kiss today? _I choked on the blood I was swallowing and growled at Alice.

_Get out of my head! What were you doing? Prying through my thoughts? Why would you do that?_

_Edward, I didn't! I swear I didn't. I foresaw it, that's all. I just wanted to see if . . . if it was true!_

_Why wouldn't it be? You KNOW what I feel for her! Of course I was going to kiss her._

_I'll just tell you then. _She snapped. A growl started deep down in my chest

_Tell me what?_

_Tanya and her friend Christine have come down. They are here no_

_What? What do you mean?_

_Those words specify what I am saying, Edward. What did you think? That we weren't going to se them again? Christine is asking after you, you know._

_Oh no. distracts them when I come in. OK? Please?_

_OK. And Edward?_

_Yes?_

_I'm sorry for before._

_It's OK. I'm sorry I lost my temper with you, Alice. _

She laughed and the connection was broken. If Christine was here, what would she make of Bella? She was a vampire after all. Maybe she'd do something stupid and illogical that sounded like something she would do. I ran the rest of the way home.

"Carlisle? Esme? Emmett? Rosalie? Jasper? Alice?" I said their names in a quiet tone, but I knew they would hear me. Alice ran out of the living room and threw herself at me. Jasper laughed and she ran after him, jumping on his back and planting a kiss on his neck. He laughed and they went back to the living room. Carlisle smiled at me, and I k new that the old Carlisle was back.

"Edward, would you mind coming here a minute?" I stepped forward and he lay a hand on my forehead, checked my eyes and smiled, "I see you are taking care of yourself again." I laughed. The living room door opened and Tanya and Christine made The Entrance.

Tanya hadn't changed – how could she? – her strawberry blonde hair was tied up in a high pony tail, she was wearing a black turtleneck, which was so tight it hugged all of her curves. She was ewearing a pair of ripped jeans and boots. Wow, she came down from Alaska and it seemed like she had gone on holiday in New York.

Christine was . . . different. As different as you can be when you are a vampire. Her blonde hair was even longer now. Reaching her waist in beautiful curls Jessica would've killed for. Her clothing was simple. Red jumper and black shorts, with high heeled sandals. Her pale skin contrasted against the vivid colours she chose. She smiled her cat, sexy smile and strode forward to hug me. Tanya giggled when she saw my expression. I swear it was one of horror.

"What are they doing here?" I snarled at Carlisle. He put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me, his eyes full of concern. "I couldn't do anything to stop them. I know how much you feel for that human girl, but maybe seeing Christine again would refresh your ideas." I broke away from his grasp and snarled at him. I was so angry I was turning into the monster I hated the most. The monster of my nightmares. Carlisle jumped back, scared by my sudden change. I pushed past Christine, nearly sending her flying and stormed up the stairs. I slammed my bedroom door shut and let the monster I feared take over . . .

_Smash! The window broke. The door was ripped off its hinges. The bed was thrown over on to its side. The carpet was flung out into the corridor. A hard hand landed on his shoulder throwing him to the floor. Snarls and growls ripped through his throat. He kicked out; the victim fell back with a yelp of pain. He roared and flung himself on top of his attacker his sudden rage making the attacker twist and turn in every direction. Trying to free himself from the force with which Edward had pinned him down. A last growl escaped Edwards's throat . . ._

I lay face down on the bare floorboards, trying to make myself breathe evenly again. The only time I had lost my temper like this was when I was a newborn. I had wanted more and more blood in my life. My eyes had turned crimson with the greed of it. Emmett stood up and shook me roughly, trying to make me look up. I refused with an angry growl. He left without a sound.

Why had I lost my temper like that? What had Carlisle said? _I couldn't do anything to stop them. I know how much you feel for that human girl, but maybe seeing Christine again would refresh your ideas._ What did he mean?

I felt light headed. If Carlisle meant what I was thinking, that I should fall in love with Christine, then what would I do? I knew Christine's games. I knew why she wanted me so badly. But I wasn't going to give in so easily. I loved Bella and Bella would have me. Anyway part of me she wanted she would have it.

**Thx guys for ur reviews! What you say is really important to me. I hope you guys are enjoying these chapters and if you have any ideas on what I could do to spice it up, TELL ME!!! Thx so much…..**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23.**

I looked in the mirror, and the monster that stared back at me frightened me. Its eyes were the brightest red you could imagine, its features were hard lines, its mouth was a pulled in a horrid line, revealing the glinting white teeth in something that looked like a grimace.

I whimpered. How could this happen again? How could I turn into the monster I never wanted to be. I was a fool and I knew it.

I walked through the corridor, following the laughter from the living room. Most of the laughter, I noticed, was coming from Christine herself. I opened the door and walked in.

Everybody turned round to stare at me. Carlisle saw me and breathed, "Oh Lord." He rushed to my side and I whimpered again. The pain that ripped through my body was unbearable. Carlisle rushed me out of the room and into the kitchen, where I sat heavily; I dropped my head into my hands, and tried to let the tears come. They didn't of course. I wasn't human. I was a vampire.

"Edward, we can't let this happen again." I nodded and a growl escaped my throat, racking through my body and making the pain worse than ever.

"It's OK. Just let me look at your eyes." The phone rang shrilly through the house. Esme came in with the phone in her hand.

"It's for you, Edward." I glanced up and took the phone with shaking hands.

"_Edward? Can I talk to you?"_

"Bella?" I choked out.

"_Hey, are you OK?"_

"Oh, I'm fine."

"_You don't SOUND it."_

"Bella, honey, I'm fine. What's the matter?" Christine had come into the kitchen and heard me call Bella honey. Damn! I was so careless.

"_I . . . Can't tell you by phone. Can you come over tonight? It's really important."_

"Of course I will. Don't worry." She sighed and hung up. I looked at the receiver. Carlisle was staring at me, "You aren't going tonight, Edward. It's too dangerous for the human girl."

"Yes I am. She needs me. I'm not going to abandon her."

"That's not what I meant-''

"Yes it is. You want me to break up with her because she's _human_. But guess what? I don't care." I was fine now. The pain had stopped. I glanced in the window at my reflection, and saw that the old Edward was back. My eyes were the normal topaz they were supposed to be. Christine glared at me as I stood up and fetched my car keys, then thought about it, left the keys on the kitchen table and left. Christine ran after me, blonde curls flying all over the place.

"Edward! Wait!" I turned around slightly. Her musical voice made me look at her. Her topaz eyes were glinting with something I didn't recognize.

"Yes?" I offered.

"Can we talk?"

"Now? Chris I'm in a hurry, OK? We'll talk when I get back." She smiled.

"You called me Chris." I shrugged.

"So?"

"That was my special name, remember?" she purred. I _did _remember. The first and only night that I had gone crazy for her. The name I had whispered to her in the privacy of my room . . . I shook myself.

"It's in the past. The name came automatically. Don't think anything of it." Her shoulders slumped. I started to turn around again but Christine stopped me.

"When will you be back?" she whispered in my ear. I shuddered at the thought of the night, the only night I had spent in her family's house, in Alaska.

"In the morning." I snapped. She flinched like I'd slapped her and instantly sorry for it. I softened a bit and said, "Bella needs me right now. I don't know when I'll be back." She smiled and turned back towards the house. Wasn't she scared? I had acted like a real life monster today and she seemed totally calm about it. It wasn't normal for a vampire to act that way, to lose their temper like it was nothing. Werewolves did that. When a werewolf was in its human form, the anger turned him into a gigantic wolf. Vampires didn't turn into other monsters. They fought against their anger. Carlisle was still working on why this happened, every time I was provoked or attacked in an oral or physical manner, I turned into . . . into _that_.

"Why is she so important?"

"I don't know. I love her, but I don't know what she sees in me, I could hurt her." Christine gave a bark of laughter, and flounced back to the house.

Bella was lying on her bed reading _Wuthering heights_. Again.

"Don't you ever get tired of that book?" I whispered. I lay beside her on the bed, wrapping my arms around her and snuggling her into my chest. She sighed and stroked my arm, chest and legs.

"What did you need to tell me?" I asked in a hoarse voice. Charlie was snoring loudly in the other room, so there was nothing to fear.

"It's about what you said today . . .'' I groaned and sat up, "No wait, when you said that I was mentally stronger than you, what did you mean?" relieved that she wasn't going to bring up the fact of me changing her, I tried to elaborate a simple enough answer for her.

"Er, you know we all have different abilities right? When I tried to enter your mind it was blocked by you. What I mean is, you were protecting yourself by closing your mind to the others around you. If you tried to let your guard down, I think I would get less hurt than when your guard is up. Every time someone is trying to listen, read, or interpret your thoughts, you inflict pain or damage to that person."

"You've lost me." she said. I laughed.

"OK. That time in bio, when I tried to get into your thoughts, what did you feel?"

"Like someone had hit me round the head, but then I felt terribly dizzy" she murmured. I took her into my arms and cradled her against my chest.

"Exactly. You were guarding your self. When I said you were mentally stronger than I was, I meant you could harm somebody. But you reacting like that to my kiss . . . Bella, I could kill you. You don't realise how strong I am! Just by reacting the way you did . . . I was going to jump you Bella. I had the urge to bite you, and I don't want to harm you in any way"

"Is that why you pulled away so abruptly and kept muttering 'too strong, too strong'?"

"Yes."

She wrapped her arms around me and held on tight.

"Bella?"

"Mmm?"

"You are the best damn thing that has ever happened to me." I whispered. If Emmett was here, he would've been laughing by now. I never acted so _soft _in front of anyone. This was a whole new experience. Bella laughed softly and kissed my neck, "And you are mine." She whispered back.

She fell asleep, holding me tight, her lips crushed against my neck.


	24. Chapter 24

**If anybody spots a time change (past to present and vice versa.) can you please tell me? So sorry if the last few chapters are so long, but I get carried away with writing ) thx so much, guys!!!**

**CHAPTER 24**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

Ever tried driving a truck through a snowstorm? I have.

Monday morning was a nightmare. I woke up thinking it was still night, as the sky was _really _dark, but then I saw my alarm clock and jumped out of bed, fearing I was going to be late, and fell over my combat boots hitting my head on the floor.

Charlie had used all the hot water, so my shower was freezing cold, their was nothing warm to drink before I left for school, _and _when I got outside, I noticed why it was so damn dark. Snow was coming down so hard; you could hardly see your hands in front of you.

At least Edward was in today. He hasn't told me _everything _about being a vampire, but the most basic things. Feeding, no sleeping, no eating, or drinking . . . blah blah blah. He told me about the way they hunted, how much they could take at a time . . . and I was actually interested in what he had to say.

He still needs to tell me why he is never in when the sun (?) comes out. He seems reluctant to tell me that. Sighing, I scan the white parking lot for a big enough spot. The shiny grey Volvo was parked in its usual spot, near the big tree over shadowing the oldest part of the school. Students were laughing and joking about. The snow was taking its effect on people; teachers seemed in a lighter mood than the day before when it was pouring down with rain, Jessica seemed to have forgotten she was my sworn enemy and was waiting for me near the hall entrance.

"Bella! Hi!" she squealed. Dressed in total white – white scarf- white trousers, white shoes, white gloves . . . - she rushed towards me. Her arms were wide open for a hug that I avoided by side stepping her and scanning the crowd for Edward. I saw him standing by the red Porsche, seemingly having a heated discussion with Rosalie and another blonde girl I had never seen before. He saw me standing, wide eyed near my truck, and called my name in a relieved voice.

"Bells! Come over here!" he gestured with his arms towards him and I took a step forward. Jessica stopped me, saying, "Bella? I want to say sorry for what happened. You know, between us."

"Huh. Do you mind? I'm meeting someone."

"Do you want to join me for lunch? Mike would love it if you were there too."

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm busy at lunch." I pushed past her and strode towards Edward. His face was lit up by a beautiful smile that took my breath away.

"Hey." I said.

"Morning, Bella" he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. Rosalie who was now walking away, arm in arm with Emmett rolled her eyes towards the sky. The other blonde glared at me then smiled angelically at Edward, who scowled back.

"Hello, I'm Christine." She purred. Christine was . . . beautiful. She had long curly hair to her waist, big topaz eyes which made her look innocent and long pale fingers.

She was a vampire.

"Hi, um, I'm Bella." She laughed and kissed Edward on the cheek, waving goodbye she danced away towards the school entrance.

"Who's she?" I asked.

"Just a girl who joined my family."

"Looks like you know her." I muttered. Was I jealous? Hell yeah! That girl just kissed my boyfriend! In front of me!

"Honey, she's a vampire. So yeah, I know her. Don't tell me you're _jealous_!" he laughed, wrapping his strong arms around me and kissing the top of my head.

"Er, yeah? Why wouldn't I be? You're the hottest guy here! And she just kissed you in front of me." I pushed him away and looked at his face. There was a mixture of feelings on his face I couldn't decipher. Something between amusement and disbelief. I groaned.

"Honey, I used to live with her in Alaska. There was nothing g between us, OK? Believe me. I wouldn't go with her even if you paid gold." Putting an arm round my shoulders, he steered me towards our first lesson, English.

"I do hope you have all finished _Wuthering Heights_ by now. Today is . . . POP QUIZ!" the class groaned in unison. A note slid towards me on the table.

**I now understand your fixation with that book.**

I smiled and wrote back, **not a fixation, more like an interest**

**With Wuthering heights? Couldn't you be interested in something like Harry Potter?**

**I think I have enough magic in my life, don't you?**

**I agree. You don't know what I would trade to be human again, Bella.**

**You are perfect the way you are. Don't change.**

He quickly stuffed the note in my jeans pocket as out teacher came round with the question papers. The questions were fairly easy. I had done all of this back in Phoenix anyway, so there was no problem. I noticed Christine looking my way, as Edward and I exchanged notes. I offered her a friendly smile and she glared back.

_Nice, got rid of one cow and there's another round the corner, _I thought.

The bell rang and the class emptied. Edward waited for me as usual; his bag slung carelessly over one shoulder. He smiled when I reached him. A question had been bothering me all lesson, but I didn't want to tell him. What if he thought I was stupid? What if he thought I was worrying too much? Even worse, what if he found out how boring I actually was, and dumped me for Christine? I shuddered at the thought of them two together, like a normal couple. Well, normal as you could be when your favourite diet was blood.

His forehead creased into a frown as he looked at my face, "Bella, I already told you. Christine is nothing for me, OK? And she won't be around for long."

"What does the school think?" I asked curiously. He was silent for a minute, listening to the thoughts of the teachers around him.

"They think she is nothing more than a girl on the move."

"Oh." My phone rang again, and I pulled away to answer it. Why was it always ringing in school hours?

"Hello?"

"Girlfriend? It's Josh. Um, I just wanted to tell you, we're going back to Phoenix tonight. I don't know when we'll be back."

"Oh. Can't we do something in between? I could skip gym and come over."

"Nah, it's OK. Don't worry, we'll e-mail or call you when we get back."

"Yes but-''

"Jesse said we have to start packing OK? I'll call you later, love ya." He hung up. Something was wrong. I could feel it. The way Josh was talking was weird, his usual smugness and bouncy voice was gone, replaced by something more like a strung out voice. Did I do something wrong? Edward was looking at me, a worried expression on his handsome face.

"Come on, I'll give you a lift."

"Are you sure? Look, I don't want to get you into trouble, OK?"

"No worries. I have the reception lady wrapped round my little finger. She'll cover for me, while I'm gone. And for you if I tell her to."

"Oh Edward! You are the best!" I kissed him on the lips and ran out of the building into the snow. He was right beside me in a minute.

"Were you listening when I was talking on the phone?"

"Yeah, sorry. It just comes naturally and . . ."

"Edward, you don't have to excuse yourself, OK? It's fine by me. I don't have long talks about how I kiss boys when I'm on the phone." I gave a pointed look in Jessica's direction. He laughed, and the sound was like warm honey on a cold day. He dragged me towards his car. We got in and he backed out of the parking lot. We were silent for the rest of the drive, comforted by each others company.

"I'll come up with you. I have a feeling about this." He murmured in my ear. I nodded and got out of the car.

"Hi, can I see Josh Whiley please?" I asked the receptionist. Jesse would've aid but the room would be under Josh's name.

"Is he expecting you?" she asked. I shook my head and the receptionist sighed, ringing up Josh's room. She nodded at us and we made out way up. I was so nervous my hands shook badly as I knocked on there bedroom door. Edward was completely calm an arm wrapped round my shoulders. The door opened and Jesse stood there, looking absolutely horrible.

"Oh my God, Jesse what happened?" his lip was split and a bruise was forming under one eye.

"Nothing, Bella. Come on in. I thought Josh said not to come?" his voice was emotionless.

"Er, am I your best friend or what? I wanted to see you guys before you left!" I said dismayed. He looked at me for a second and then called Josh. He appeared looking even worse than I heard him. His eyes had purple rings under them; his skin looked too pale for him. He limped a bit when he walked.

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

"Nice." Edward muttered under his breath. I elbowed him in the ribs. It did nothing to him, but I bet I had a bruise on my elbow for that. Josh's eyes snapped to Edward and his eyes narrowed.

"Ah, you must be Edward." He sneered.

"Yes. You're Josh?" Edward sneered right back. This wasn't right. Josh had never been this stand-offish when I met someone. Except for Robert.

"What are you doing here Bella? I told you not to come." He growled. I flinched like he'd slapped me and Edward's face became scary. He looked more like a vampire than ever.

"She wanted to see you, is there something wrong with that?" he asked. His tone of voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Yes. I didn't want to see her."

"Why?" I whispered, "What did I do?"

"Nothing. That's the problem. You did absolutely nothing." He said. His eyes were full of menace, his hands balled up into fists.

"We had an accident, Bella." Isaac explained. His eyes turned onto Edward and froze. Edward froze, too. I looked at Isaac and noticed how inhumanly beautiful he was. His eyes were black, and his skin was a beautiful pale. I remembered being scared of him at first, he never seemed to listen to what you were saying, but then he knew more than what you would ever reveal.

"An accident?" I whispered.

"Uh-huh. And guess what? When we tried to call you, your phone was off. I thought you were our friend, Bella. And you abandoned us at the first opportunity you got!" he yelled.

"No I didn't! I didn't know! Do you really think that I would do that to you? That I would _abandon _you? I'M NOT ADAM WHATEVER YOU MIGHT THINK!" I shouted right back. Josh looked taken aback for a second, and I thought of apologizing, but that went right out of the window as he glared at me and took a step forward.

"_You proved to be worse than Adam would ever dare be. You never answered your phone. You never called or visited. I thought we were friends for life!! But of course you met HIM,"_ he nodded towards Edward, "_and now we don't exist anymore. Guess what Bella? It's over. We're finished with you."_ He hissed. Jesse just looked on, his face expressionless. Isaac was still staring at Edward like he had just seen the sun for the first time.

"You don't mean that, Josh" my voice broke, "I'm sorry, OK? I don't know why I did those things, I'm just really, really sorry." I started to turn around and walk away, but a hand spun me back to face Josh's furious face, "Don't you dare walk out on us!"

"Stop talking in the plural sense! Let _them _have their word in between, too!" I shouted. He looked hurt for a second and then let go of my arm. Edward pushed him away and growled.

"Say sorry. You have no idea what she's been going through. Say sorry."

"No. I don't give a damn what she's been going through! Jesse and I nearly died the other night, and she wasn't there for us!"

"My father cured you! I think that is more than enough."

"He couldn't be your father! He must be in his late twenties"

"He is. We're adopted but he's still my father. Say sorry to Bella." Josh growled and turned towards me. His face softened when he saw tears trickling down my cheeks. He reached out to hug me but I flinched away, "Don't touch me. You're right I _am _a horrible person, and I'm so sorry you ever met me."

"Bella, that's not what I meant."

"Yes it is. Do you even realise the way you spoke to me? Like I was a monster." Edward flinched and I wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I'm sorry, OK? I was just so hurt that you weren't there, I –''

"I thought you learnt not to jump to conclusions." My mind flashed back to the time when Josh lay bleeding in the back seat. He had mingled with the wrong girl. The wrong girl whose ex carried a pen knife in his pocket at all time. Josh had wanted to say a few words to the girls ex. She had told Josh that he was bugging her, and Josh went after him.

It all leaded to a week in jail for Jesse and me, and a month in hospital for Josh.

"Don't remind me of that." The old Josh was back, but I wasn't ready to give in like that. I turned away from him and dragged Edward with me.

In the car, I let it all flow out. The tears came and the pain was unbearable. Edward held me the whole time, saying things like, 'he isn't worth it' and 'you'll be friends in no time, hon. don't worry'. When I was done, he sweetly brushed away the tears and asked, "Do you want to go back to school?" I nodded and we drove away.

By the time we got to school, I had bombarded him with questions. My first one was, "Why were you and Isaac staring at each other like that?"

He shrugged, "Long story. I'll tell you tonight."

**If you thought this chapter was TOO long, could you please tell me? I get carried away when writing and I don't seem to notice when chapters are too long or too short.**

**Thx for the reviews!!**


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25**

By the time the school term ended, it was like that episode in Port Angeles never happened. Weirdly, Jessica was still being inexcusably nice, even after I had pushed and turned her down the way I had that morning. I asked Edward why that might be and he was silent for a second, and then said, "She thinks you might be her ticket to Mike." I laughed and playfully slapped him on the arm.

"Edward Cullen! I cannot believe you would break into somebody's mind for me!" I mock yelled at him. He kissed me and whispered,

"Oh, I'd break into a thousand minds for _you._" Christine was an angel when Edward was looking but when he turned his back I swear you could see a pair of red horns coming out of her head. I didn't like her. She had half of the boys that weren't salivating after Rosalie, head over heels for her.

She was the devil in human form. Rumour had it that she'd been caught kissing Todd Jefferson by Lauren. Todd _loved _the attention. Who wouldn't? Christine was the second hottest girl after Rosalie. And man, was Emmett jealous of her. Rosalie, I mean. Not Christine.

When Edward told me that nothing had happened between them, I believed him, but I wasn't so sure now. He hadn't looked me in the eye when he said it. What was there to hide? It must've been years ago when anything _could _happen. When I didn't exist. Why did he feel the need of protecting me?

I was kept awake at night by the thought of me being stronger than him. How was that possible? The only way that could happen was if I was one of _them._ A vampire. An immortal being.

Christmas was always nearer and when time passed, I felt more and more helpless for no reason. I would be down for days on end sometime, and other times feel like I wasn't even in my body. Edward was worried sick, thinking he might've done something to reduce me this way, but actually it was my entire fault. I was scared of Christine and her friend Tanya. I was scared of what they might be able to do. There was no denying it. Christine adored Edward, and thought of me as a liability.

Maybe what I was doing was wrong. Maybe keeping Edward for me could turn out to be the greatest mistake of my life.

"Edward? Do you think I'm an idiot?" I asked. We were lying on my bed, like any other night, talking about nothing and kissing for ages.

He laughed and replied, "Yes, I do."

"Seriously, Edward."

"Why would you ask such a stupid thing? You _know _how I feel about you, and if I thought you were being an idiot, I would tell you."

"It's just something Christine said . . ." I trailed off. He stiffened, his arms tightening around me.

"Go on."

"Er, she said that what I was doing was wrong. That you should be able to choose what you wanted, that I shouldn't offer it to you on a silver plate. She said that maybe you would choose someone your own kind if I wasn't so . . . _clingy_, I think is the word she used." I waited, trying to understand what Edward was thinking by the way he breathed. Trying to understand what Edward was thinking was no piece of cake. Looking up, I met Edward's gaze, his topaz eyes stared at me in confusion.

"You are c_razy._" He muttered softly. His lips found mine and he kissed me. It wasn't his soft kiss that I had enjoyed but a hard one, a kiss that drove all other thoughts from my human mind. As I broke away from his kiss, I gasped, "Me? Crazy? Why?"

"You are crazy enough to believe _Christine?_ I thought you knew better than that, Bella." I sighed and kissed his neck and jaw line. He groaned and sat up.

"You'll be the death of me, Bella." It was already dark outside and it was late.

"Go to sleep, Bella. And don't listen to Christine. She's stupid; she'll do anything to hurt you, OK?" I nodded and he smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Won't you stay tonight?" I asked.

"Not tonight, love." He disappeared out of the window before I could open my mouth.

**Sorry guys if this chapter is short, but I had no other ideas for this particular chapter.**

**Keep reading! I swear the best part is coming up . . .**


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

_**EDWARD'S POV.**_

Christine was waiting for me when I got home. She was sitting in my armchair reading a book; she looked up when I went into the living room.

"I know what you are about to say, but before you say anything, hear me out, OK?" she stood up and stood directly in front of me.

"I said those things to Bella because it's nothing but the truth. You deserve more than a human girl who will break your heart, Edward." I gave a bark of humourless laughter. Was she trying to talk me out of loving Bella?

"I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, Edward. What I'm _trying _to say is: keep your options open. Don't get tied down _now. _You have the rest of eternity in front of you."

"Look Christine, I've been in this world for the past 120 years. I think it's time I settle down"

"Oh yeah? And tell me, how are you going to do that?" my eyes narrowed and my fists clenched. She was right of course. Bella was going to die someday and what was I going to be left with? My heart broken into thousands of irreparable pieces.

"See? You know so yourself, Edward. You can't fall for a human! It's against nature."

"No, _we _are against nature. Creatures like us shouldn't exist." She winced at the truth in my voice.

"You don't mean that."

"Maybe, maybe not." I turned towards the door when she stopped me again.

"Did you forget everything? Everything you promised me that night?" she whispered. Anger bubbled inside me. How _dare _she bring this up now? The breath caught in my throat and the familiar flow of venom flooded my mouth. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes; trying to push down the sea of red I saw swimming in front of my eyes.

"That night . . . meant nothing to me. You were controlling my mind, Christine, and you know it. Whatever I said to you was not intentional. It was all an illusion for you. You were making me say those things because you wanted it so badly. As I said, it meant nothing to me and never will." Christine gasped. Urgh, couldn't she have gone hunting with Tanya and my family? Oh no, she had to make my life hell, one way or another. She had to make me look like I was the bad guy all along when really, she was the bad one. She had been controlling my mind that night, and held it against me when I wouldn't do what she wanted. This time I was going to listen to myself.

Carlisle didn't know anything about what happened with Christine. That was fine, otherwise he'd know if I was losing my temper. He would want to know why and I couldn't explain that to him. Alice was always in my head these days, which nauseated me as I wanted time alone to think about a few things.

Why did Bella's friend, Isaac look so familiar?

Why was Bella so scared of losing me?

_She's scared of losing you because you are too real. _Alice had said to me, via her thoughts.

_What do you want Alice?_

_Nothing!_

_Then get out of my head. I want to be alone._

_Nobody wants to be alone, Edward._

_I DO! _If anybody knew what was going on in my head, I would be locked p in a padded cellar before I could say anything. Bella had found a job at Newton's (of course) so I couldn't see her from eight until six.

"You can come in the shop, Edward. They're not going to bite your head off. Or maybe you could come when it's my break."

"Mmm, maybe I will. I don't know Bella. I don't like Mike, so I don't see the point of a fight." She had sighed and looked away. She couldn't understand what it felt for me, being around a human I disliked. She did her best to understand but it was hard, I could see it in her eyes. She shrugged and said, "Whatever. Do what you want."

"Aw, love, you know you'll see me tonight."

"OK." She had said and got out of the car, heading for Newton's where Mike was waiting eagerly.

_Fine, Edward. You know, you've changed a lot since Christine came, is everything OK?_

_Yes. Everything is fine, Alice. Thank you._ Everything was silent in my head after that. What I really hated about school holidays was the boredom. Us vampires could do hardly anything without being careful.

Lie. We could go to the movies, go shopping (No thanks, but Alice would LOVE that) and do lots of things. But deep down we were bored and the only thing we could do to satisfy that boredom was feeding. We couldn't feed that much or we could a) be found out and b) turn into something more powerful and monstrous than we already are.

So I decided to do some research.

Bella had told me little about Isaac Grey. She didn't know much about him except that he had been adopted with other seven sisters and two brothers, she knew he was from Italy and that's about it.

I lay on my bed and let my mind wander through the town to Port Angeles . . .

"_Jesse! You said we were leaving last night!" Isaac yelled._

"_Wow. Why are you so eager? It's not like you have a girlfriend back in Phoenix." Josh laughed._

"_No, but . . . I don't like this place. It freaks me out."_

"_Riiiiiight. Why?" Jesse's eyes lit up._

"_I don't know. And anyway, I don't like that Cullen kid."_

"_Yeah right. He's a bit freaky isn_'t he?_ It's like he knew what we were going to say at all times." Josh grunted from the sofa._

"_Could you please shut up about the Cullen kid? Just the thought of him makes me want to go and punch his lights out." I laugh silently._

"_I miss Bella." Adam whispered._

"_Don't we all?" Josh snapped._

"_Did you have to be so hard on her? She didn't mean to ignore us like that." Jesse snapped right back_

"_Huh. Oh, man my ribs are caning." Josh yelped._

"_Oh will you shut up about your damn ribs, please? We've had enough!" Paul yelled._

"_Listen to ourselves! We're fighting like little kids." Isaac shouted._

"_Yeah. When Bella was here, we never fought." Josh said. His voice was full of sadness. What have I done? He thought. I've ruined everything._

"_Call her." Isaac urged, "Call her and tell her you're sorry." Josh smiled and gestured to Isaac to come near._

"_Isaac, what will Bella say?" Isaac was silent and then whispered so low that only Josh could hear, "She'll say that she forgives you and you'll say that you love her like she was your sister. She'll laugh and it will be done." Josh sighed and gestured at the phone._

"_Hand it over."_

_ENETER ISAAC GREY'S MIND:_

Edward Cullen. A _vampire?_ But that was impossible! I need to contact him as soon as possible. Why didn't Bella tell me? Oh yeah, she doesn't know what I am. Josh is the only human who does know. And that might be a mistake . . . . .

"Carlisle!" I yelled. Carlisle rushed into my room, saw me lying on my bed grinning up at him, and a confused expression adorned his face.

"Yes?"

"There is a vampire, in Port Angeles. He is Bella's best friend-''

"Say no more. We're going. Well . . . I'm going." He left, a happy look on his young handsome face


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER 27**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

He did not trust me. The black haired arse hole didn't think I could understand him and that I would have thrown him into the rat cage.

Aka the loony bin.

I would've never have done that. He was my best friend. Um, I underline the word _was _because he was being coaxed into living the nightlife with the Cullen's. They let a random stranger in there house, and Edward doesn't even want to think about changing me? How unfair is that? Edward had tried to explain what he meant when he said that we were _never _going to face that subject, but he lost me when he said honey . . .

What is wrong with me? The only time somebody made me totally oblivious to what they were talking about was when there lips did a very interesting thing on mine. Moreover, that had led to trouble.

But when Edward talks, I listen, because if you know me the thing I love most is talking, but the stuff he says actually _interests _me. Even if it was something as dead boring as hunting.

Isaac stares at me in pity. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE IS THINKING! Urgh, do they really think that because I was a girl, I was _brain dead????_

"Oh, for the last time! I would've understood! I mean, look at how I handled the thing with edward1"

"That's because you like him and you are prepared to do anything to make him like you back." He retorted. Edward was standing next to me, and he cracked up. I considered punching him but thought better of it when I imagined myself with a horrid brace.

"No, I wouldn't" I blushed, giving the lie away. Isaac raised an eyebrow at me and I sighed, "OK, so maybe I _would_, but tell me, who wouldn't? Jess fricking Stanley would've believed him if he said he stuck his head down a lions _throat._"

Edward cleared his throat and muttered, "Him has a _name._" I turned my glare on him and he glared right back. What was with him? Any other person here would've backed down by now!

"That is because they want to get in your good books, Bells." Isaac said.

"Tell me you did _not _just read my mind." I gasped.

"Well, if you wouldn't scream so loudly in your mind, then maybe it would be harder to ignore." Isaac snapped.

"Lack of privacy much?" I sneered.

"I have read everybody's thoughts when nobody knew anything about me, except yours. Josh's mind was the most interesting." I took a step forward and hissed,

"Stay out of my- our minds. You have no right."

"Huh, and you have the right to threaten me?" he hissed back.

"Oh, my threats are nada to you. You're vampire, and you are stronger."

"Honey, you are mentally stronger remember? You can still close your mind to others around you." Edward said. His velvet voice brought me back to the present. Which was us three standing in a triangle in the middle of the hotel parking lot. Carlisle was waiting in his car, tapping his fingers impatiently on the wheel.

"Whatever. I've got to get home." I turned and walked away from them. I had left my truck at home because Edward had given me a lift. It was snowing still, but it was a beautiful soft snow that melted in your hair.

And shoes.

I made myself like walking in it and trudged on. It was peacefully quiet until I heard the unmistakable engine sound of a particular shiny grey Volvo. It stopped by me, moving at an ants pace.

"Come on Bella. Get in the car or by the time you get home, you'll be an ice cube." Edward said. His voice was so . . . _inviting. _Making you wanted to do things you shouldn't.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather walk."

"Don't be ridiculous. Get in the car."

"What do you not understand from the word 'no'? The N or the O?"

"Bella, don't be smart with me. Get in the car. Look, if you are angry with me for siding with Isaac, then I apologize. But is this necessary? You being so stand off-ish and making me run to catch up?" I shook my head and picked up my pace. Edward accelerated a little, so he was still driving next to me.

"It's not that . . ."

"Then what is it?" he questioned.

"Why do you let a complete stranger in your 'family' but won't even think about letting me in?" Edward groaned and hit the steering wheel.

"_He _doesn't have to go through the pain, because he already _did. He _can fend for himself if we are attacked! _He _can stay a week or so without drinking because _he _isn't a newborn!" his voice rose near the end of the long explanation. I cringed as the malice in his voice.

"OH MY GOD! Sor-ry!" I muttered and walked faster. Edward sighed and picked up speed.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn'tve been so frustrated at your question." He sighed again and stopped the car. A second passed and he was in front of me, leaning down so our lips were nearly touching.

"Get in the car, Bella. It's warmer in there and you won't risk dying of pneumonia." I stamped my foot and made my way angrily to the passenger seat.

"You are _so _going to pay for this."

"Oh, I don't mind." I laughed and he drove me home.

**Hope you like this chapter! Don't forget to REVIEW!!! As I said before, I love reading what people have to say about my work. )**


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 28.**

I didn't see Edward that night.

Or the next.

Or the next.

I didn't see him in school, either! So I guess that's it. His 'friend' Christine came down from Alaska with her mate Tanya and it was over between us. Christine stayed out of school, too, and Tanya was too old to attend. Nineteen or so, rumours had it she went to a private college. I tried phoning Edward's house, but no one would pick up.

Won't tell you _how _I got his number, but I'll give you a hint: a little bit of breaking and entering was needed.

I phone josh and he was all, "Huh, I _told _you that maybe that guy was a bit . . . too comfortable with you, girlfriend. I mean, look at him! A hot kid like that won't hang around too long when there's a free chick down the road!"

"You mean, like _you _would do?" I asked, sourly. Hah, he thought I wasn't _good enough _for Edward. Nice.

"Well . . . depends if I'm interested or not."

"Which you usually are."

"Not."

"Ha ha. You made it funny. Face it josh, your last 'girlfriend lasted what? A day?"

"She _lied._ That's a different matter."

"The fact that she lied or the fact that her crazy ex stabbed you?"

"You got me there." Josh laughed, thinking nothing of that night. I know he didn't mind fighting over someone and coming out of it victorious. Only helped him out better in his bad boy/ Casanova reputation. The female population of my old school belonged to him.

Except me. I never abandoned myself in the 'temptation' and he didn't try. Which is good.

"Back to your love life. Did you call him? Ask him for an explanation of some kind!" he exclaimed.

"He won't pick up. Duh! Of course o would want an explanation, and I think that's why he doesn't answer."

"Maybe he is out hunting." Josh said. It confused me sometimes when he talked about the vampire side of life I lived on. I had to come round the fact that he _knew._

"How's your leg?" I asked driving the conversation away from the danger zone. In the accident, josh's leg was stuck between to burnt parts of metal. No harm done to his beautiful; body or skin, but a terrible pain and a bit of limping that would heal with a consistent week of physiotherapy.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm on super painkillers and stuff. Got to do exercises twice a day." I rolled my eyes at the annoyed edge in his voice. He might be a drop-dead super hottie, but mention the words 'exercise' or 'sport' and he'll run a mile. Heh heh.

"Ah, you'll heal in no time and then you're back into forging notes with your mother's signature for your spots teacher. It's weird she hasn't thought it was a bit suspicious that you never enter the gymnasium dressed in the proper kit."

"I know how to handle it." I laughed and said I had to go. Hanging up was always the part that made me want to go back home. Josh and I used to go hours on the phone without paying because of his mothers free calls, but here in Forks, if you call for more than an hour your bill will have so many digits you forget how to count.

I made my way upstairs making a mental note to call Edward later, and if it was on voice mail again, I'll give him a piece of my mind, letting him know what happens of you mess with a city Swan. My shoulders slumped as I remembered how many chapters of _Wuthering heights _I had to read in order to finish my essay, and I grumpily slammed the door open . . .

To reveal what looked like a man-sized tornado had done to my immaculate room. I know it was clean because Alice had helped me clean it, throwing out the clothes I couldn't – or wouldn't – wear and stuff.

But now, my room was a total tip! The computer was lying on its side, the screen cracked. The desk was upside down, the side of it splintered; my rocking chair was snapped in half; clothes strewn all over the place; closet doors ripped of there hinges; my bed was unmade, the covers and pillows – oh, my beautiful fluffy pillows! – were ripped and emptied of feathers.

So I did the only thing I _could _do.

I screamed.

"No, I didn't let anybody in."

"Was the window closed?"

"Duh! Of course, it was close! I ain't in Phoenix anymore, am I?"

"Was the back door locked?"

"We don't have one . . ." and on and on and ON! When I screamed, the neighbours called the police. My dad – Chief Swan – was scared I was hurt! They searched the house, and found what had happened in my room. Charlie's first question was: did you have a temper tantrum? The CHEEK! I told him I had been on the phone for the past hour and his face clouded over. He asked me if I had gone to my room after I came in from school and I rolled my eyes. If I had, I would've screamed sooner, right? He took me to the station and made me sit through an interrogation – they gave me a list of things I shouldn't or should do in the room; yeah, like I hadn't gone through this BEFORE – and that's how o found myself, that evening, a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, answering all the dumb questions this fat police guy was asking.

"Look, don't you think I've answered enough? After all, I _am _only sixteen and shouldn't I have a parent or lawyer present?"

"Your father," the fat guy said angrily, "Is working on case and SO.ARE.WE." I swear you could see the full stops coming out of his lipless mouth. Why couldn't I be questioned by the sexy police guy? He was blonde, tall, young, and nice! Why did I get the grumpy fat arse?

I rolled my eyes and stood up, "Get my Dad." Police Man growled and hit a small red button on the phone.

"Chief? Your daughter wants you."

"Tell him I want to go home."

"Your _daughter _wants to go home." He said 'daughter' like it was the most disgusting thing he could ever imagine. I glared at him.

He slammed the phone in front of me and I picked it up, sweetly saying, "Dad? Can you take me home, please?"

"Honey, he's only trying to do his job, OK? Don't play with his patience."

"You haven't answered my _question._" I growled through clenched teeth.

"No, I can't. Phone Jess or one of your friends to come pick you up and stay at there house tonight. I'm not having you home until I know it's safe."

"But-'' he hung up and I threw the phone at the wall. Fat Guy got up and took a menacing step forward, and I stuck my tongue out at him, skipping out of the interrogation room.

Out in the cold – they wouldn't let me get a jacket! – I took my mobile out and tapped in the only number I knew. I walked into the pathway listening to the phone ring in the empty silence.

The lights in the police station flickered and went out, ands I was alone. Surely, they couldn't've gone all home already. I shivered in the cold and heard the familiar voice say _hey, I can't pick up right now. If you leave a message, I'd be happy to call you back. Thank you. _ Of Edward Cullen.

"Hey Edward. Look, I'm stranded and cold and tired, would you mind picking up your effing phone and get your backside down here? Thank you." He didn't need to know that it was me calling. He would find out from Alice anyway. The lamp I was standing under, hoping to get some warmth, flickered and went out, and I was left alone in the dark and cold. I stared at the forest lining this small town, trying to make sense of the dark patterns of the leaves.

Something flickered in my line of vision. I gasped and took a step backward, into the wall.

The something stared back with big golden brown eyes. It whimpered and stepped out of the trees. It was massive, bigger than a grizzly. It looked like a massive dog, and as I stepped closer, I saw that it _was _a massive dog.

I squeaked and jumped back, but the dog came closer to me, pushing its big wet nose on my hand. EW, I thought, but as I ran my hand over its fur, it came closer, purring like a cat and wagging its tail. I instantly fell in love with it.

"Wow, you are beautiful. Too bad you're too big to fit in my room." The dog's body moved quickly and a small growl escaped its throat. I guessed it was laughing.

"You are soooo soft. I can't even get my hair that soft with a long sample of shampoos." The dog's body shook some more. He lay at my feet, taking most of the path, and pushed his big furry face on my combat boots. I sat down and wondered if he could take me home. Edward wasn't going to come, I was sure of it.

Howling started up in the forest and the big dog stood up and ran to the trees, disappearing into the darkness. And I was alone again.

Thank God, this wasn't Phoenix! The streets were so busy; you never knew who our cab driver could be. . .

Headlights came up the road, and behind them I saw was a silver Volvo. It stopped beside me.

"Get in." Edward said. His voice was grumpy and I made sure to slam the door extra hard as I got in.

"Wow, you actually listened to your voice messages for once." I snapped.

"Bella, I'm sorry, but there's been a lot going on at home . . . and Christine-''

"Don't mention that name when I'm listening please! She is such a . . . there isn't a word describing her!" Edward growled and accelerated.

"Who was your friend?" he asked.

"What? Who?" I was genuinely confused.

"The dog. The werewolf."

"That wasn't a werewolf." I laughed.

"Yes it was." And the matter was dropped. Something was wrong. Edward wasn't acting like his usual self, he was closed off and acting plain horrible, I bet Christine had something to do with it.

"Why did you threaten Christine?" Edward suddenly asked.

"Huh? What you on about? I haven't seen her in the past three days. And I haven't seen you either. Some boyfriend,"

"Christine said you threatened her with some heavy duty stuff. And I never said I was your boyfriend." That hurt.

"Well, excuse me Mr Christine Isn't She The Best, but in my book, when a guy kisses a girl and continues to do so, then they are an item." My voice cracked. He looked at me and I glared at him. Sighing he reached over to me and tried to grab my hand but I slapped it away. My turn to hurt _him. _

"Honey, don't be like this. I'm sorry. If you wouldn't be so fashing in Christine's face, then maybe I wouldn't get so worked up and stuff." Trust _him _to use weird words.

"Fashing?"

"Yes. annoying." He stopped the car in front of my house, not even bothering to ask why all the lights were out. I got out and before I closed the door, I hissed,

"I am ever so sorry to be _fashing _my Lord. But you do realise that people have to defend themselves in some way? And do you know that Christine is a lying slut?" with that I slammed the door and walked over to my truck. Thank you Charlie for leaving blankets and cushions in there when you went camping before I came on the scene. Fighting tears, I took the blankets and cushions, and started to set up a small bed on the front seats.

Edward came up behind me and asked curiously, "What exactly are you doing?"

"Why do you care?" I hissed. He sighed and his arms wound themselves around my body, twisting me round so I was facing him. He bent his head so he could whisper in my ear.

"I'm sorry. I just get so defensive when it comes to other vampires being threatened . . ."

"But I _didn't_. Why would I do something like that?"

"Why wouldn't you?" he kissed me and I pushed him away.

"Come back when you get your priorities right." And I got in the truck.

Somehow, I had a feeling christen was behind the sabotage.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29.**

I lay in my truck, not so tired anymore and I stared at the screen of my mobile, wishing it to ring and hear Edwards's velvet voice apologizing to me.

Was it over? Did he prefer Christine to me? I didn't blame him if he did. She was hot and everything a guy could ask for. So if he wanted to move on, I wouldn't stop him. The screen lit signalling I had a message.

_I'm sorry for what happened tonight. _Edward sent. I didn't have the guts to type back so I hit delete.

Ten minutes later, my mobile rang and I picked up half-heartedly.

"Yes?"

"Don't hang up and listen to me." Edward instructed.

"Fine."

"I know you dislike Christine but isn't it a bit much? Dragging me into this too?"

"Look, Edward, it's either me or her. Your choice and fairly, I don't give a crap about your over protectiness for Christine. I think she is old enough to handle herself, and as I said before, I did not threaten her and if you don't believe me, your funeral." OK, bad choice of words, but these were the only words I could think of.

The line was silent for a moment and when Edward spoke, his voice sounded amused and surprised at the same time, "So you think I have a problem handling two girls? Bella, one girl I love, the other I don't know where I stand. So if you think I should choose, who do you think I would pick?"

"Dunno. You tell me."

"You, stupid. I haven't known you for long, but I _do _love you and the last thing I wasn't to lose right now is you and your silly ways."

"Huh."

"You sound like a jealous girlfriend." He stated.

"Well, I am. But can you blame me? You are hot and I'm not the only one saying this OK? And Christine is model material, so it's only natural that you two might end up together."

"You are being irrational, Bella. Stop being so difficult and listen to me for the last time. I love you. Nothing happened between Christine and me those days I stayed in Alaska and nothing ever will happen, OK? Maybe you should look out of your truck window and when you do, explain to me what the hell you are doing, lying in there with blankets and cushions." I did as he told me and I looked out sitting up.

Edward was standing on the other side of the road, mobile to his ear, but when he saw me, the phone disappeared and he was in front of my truck door.

I opened it and he got in.

"Somebody broke in my house, messing up my room and breaking my things, so Charlie thinks it's not safe for me to go in."

"And he's making you sleep out here? In the cold?" he frowned.

"No, he wanted me to phone a friend and arrange a place to stay. He isn't in because he's out of town for work about something or other. So here I am. You know better than I do that I don't have any 'friends'."

"Why don't you stay over at my place?" he asked, fiddling with one of the loose threads of my jeans. I stared at him, but quickly recovered.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"Why don't you stay over at my place? You could sleep in my room and then I could sneak you out in the morning before my parents find out."

"D-don't you think that Carlisle will find out? You said so yourself that he has high developed senses, being an older vampire than you are and all."

"No. the family is out hunting and we'll have the place to ourselves."

"Shouldn't you be with them?" his eyes were the golden colour I loved, but that didn't mean he was free of thirst.

"Bella, I'm not going to attack you while you sleep, OK? No worries." He laughed, enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug.

"I don't know . . . what if Charlie comes back in the morning?" he was silent for a second or so before answering, his voice light and velvety.

"He'll be away for the week and weekend and he's going to phone you on your mobile to tell you." At that moment, my phone rang and I picked up.

"Hello?"

"_Hey honey. It's dad." _I shot an incredulous look at Edward who grinned back. I knew that he could do this bit still . . .

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"_I just wanted to say that I won't be back for the week and weekend."_

"I know."

"_Huh?" _I realised my mistake and tried to make amends quickly.

"I mean I knew you would be away for the week and weekend, why else should your stuff be gone from the bathroom?" I didn't know that, but apparently, I was right. Bingo.

"_You went in the house? I told you not to!"_

"Dad, I had to get some of my stuff, right?"

"_I guess. Where are you staying?"_

"I've booked into a hotel. Cheap stuff. I can handle it with my college fund."

"_You're not allowed to touch that money."_

"Tell me how else am I supposed to pay? It's not like you gave me any cash just in case."

"_OK. Well, goodnight. And I'll see you next week."_

"Bye Dad." I hung up feeling exhausted. Edward was staring out of the window, but I knew he had heard everything. He looked at me when I shut the phone and dragged me towards him, kissing me softly and then harder, as if we only had a certain amount of time.

"Maybe we should get going." He said. Edward was always the one to break off the kiss when I responded a little too eagerly . . .

His hands wrapped around my wrists, dragging me out of the truck. I stumbled and grabbed his waist before i could fall. He laughed and pulled me upright again, pushing me in the general direction of the forest path.

"Wait, we're not going with my truck?" he shook his head and took a sharp turning, avoiding the dark sides of the forest. I think he felt that something was lurking in there, because a few minutes later I heard the unmistakable howling of wolves – or werewolves.

His silver Volvo was parked by the forest, and if it weren't for him guiding me, I wouldn't've seen it. He pushed me into the passenger's side and he went round to the driver's side.

Ah, now I know why he parked so close to the forest . . . he swerved into the forest and took the bumpiest, dirtiest track he could pick, throwing us into the darkness of the forest. We drove in silence and Edward was so concentrated on what he was doing, he frowned.

He parked in front of a big white mansion on the river, the windows were dark and gloomy, and the only source of light was the one of the moon reflecting off the glass; Edward took my hand and lead me to the front door, where he fitted the key and turned. He went in first, flicking on a light switch and I followed. I tried to hide my awe but apparently did not succeed.

Edward laughed and pulled me close, kissing me on the lips. I responded, feeling the familiar warmth spread through my body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pushed me closer to him. I shivered, but not because he was so cold, but because this was what I had imagined in my wildest dreams, kissing the boy I loved and adored. He held me tighter and moved his cold lips from my mouth to my neck . . .

The stairs creaked and we sprung apart, a guilty look spread across his face as I blushed. A familiar face appeared at the bottom step, the blonde curls falling down her back, her big blue eyes staring at us innocently. I looked at Edward and he opened his mouth to say something to me, but was cut off by Christine.

"Carlisle won't like it of you bring a human, Edward." She hissed; her eyes narrowed menacingly at me.

"Carlisle won't mind, as long as she's safe," He snapped, "And anyway, weren't you supposed to be out hunting with the rest of the family?"

She laughed, "I wasn't thirsty, so I couldn't be bothered. Everybody else is out though. It's just me here." She licked her lips and laughed again. If she weren't a vampire, I would've knocked her block of already.

Because she was flirting with my _boyfriend._

Because she was acting like I wasn't even there.

Edward grabbed my hand and started to pull me up the stairs, "Good to know, Christine, and if you don't mind, stay out of my room." He hissed as we went past. I could feel Christine's eyes on my back the whole way, and I felt so angry I was a half tempted to go back down and hit her hard in the middle of that perfect face I had learnt to hate.

Edward made me forget everything as soon as we entered his room, which was big, with a king sized bed. He sat me down on the bed and sat down next to me, kissing me the way I liked it.

He pushed me back onto the bed and kissed my neck and lips. I kissed him back, wrapping myself around him; he chuckled and kissed my neck and cheek in a final way.

I sighed and sat up. He remained lying down, looking up at me with those big topaz eyes of his, the crooked smile I loved spreading slowly across his handsome face. He pulled me back down beside him and I squirmed. He wouldn't let go, though. And I lay there in his arms as he kissed me over and over again, until I fell asleep, knowing that he was there beside me.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER 30.**

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

I had been a jerk and I was sure I still _was. _Isaac told me that her Phoenix friends were coming down – again – this weekend.

From what he said, Josh wanted to 'beat the crap out of me for hurting her baby.' I knew he wouldn't, though. He knew what I was and how strong we _all _were. But I was prepared anyhow.

Bella lay sleeping, a small smile on her lips, and I watched with fascination as emotion after emotion flitted across her angel face.

How could've I been so stupid? Carlisle always described me as the one thinking before taking action, but what I did today was no way a think and take action moment.

And I am not referring to the no answering the phone thing. But that part _does _have a little to do with it. Just a little, though.

Bella moaned in her sleep and I stared harder, trying to understand what she was thinking – or dreaming – without hurting her. I lay beside her, stroking her face ever so gently, until she'd calmed down. My mind snapped back to what happened today, when I was in the house alone, or so I thought.

But Christine had been there, and as I had predicted, she was out to make my life hell.

Carlisle was right. Maybe it was the right thing to leave the human life and get on with my own vampire life. But hard as I might, it wouldn't work. As soon as my mind shifted and I imagined myself in the arms of a vampire girl, I knew it couldn't happen. I knew that if I hurt Bella, I would literally kill myself.

The problem is, how was I going to do so? Humans only have to swallow a mix of poisonous herbs, and they are out cold for the rest of their mortal lives, but for us vampires . . . not even stabbing ourselves would be a good idea. The only damage there would be is the one of snapping the knife blade.

As I lay on the bed, listening to Bella breather evenly, I thought up the craziest suicide plans my mind would give.

Provoke the Volturi.

break the treaty with the werewolves

Stay without drinking blood for a few months, see what happens.

Options 2 and 3 were out. The treaty with the werewolves is already broken. One of them went close to Bella. It came into our land, so the treaty was broken two ways more than one.

Option 1 was the only one that could work. The Volturi were a great family of our kind, the closest thing to royalty our world has. You do not provoke the Volturi, unless you want to die . . . or whatever is we do.

Carlisle believed in the after life of our kind, but I didn't. when we have turned into . . . into _this,_ we are doomed to this life forever, for when we were _changed _our soul died, and the only thing that would keep us human, and let us have an 'afterlife' like humans, was our soul, and we don't have that anymore.

A shadow crossed the room, and I sat up, suddenly alert. A pair of long white hands shot out and grabbed my face, pulling me closer. I pulled away, standing up and moving quickly so I was in front of Bella, but nearest the door, too. The 'someone' chuckled and her steps whispered, the only sound other than the breathing of the human here. My hand shot out and grabbed the 'someone' by the shoulders, dragging her into view.

Christine smile cattily at me, her fingers traced patterns on my chest, and I shivered.

You want to know what scared me most? I _liked _having her trace patterns on my chest, and the shiver I felt? It wasn't a shiver in a bad way, alerting me of trouble. It alerted me of trouble all right, but I _liked _it. I leaned in closer, until our lips were only inches from each other. Christine giggled and licked her lips again. I closed the gap between us, and kissed her. The breath rushed out of my body, just like when Bella kissed me. Christine wrapped herself snake like around me, and I kissed her everywhere, from her lips to her bare shoulders, and back again.

_What are you DOING? You stupid bastard, hat are you doing to my best friend?_ Isaacs's voice yelled at me to stop, but I couldn't. I dragged her out of the room, but somehow, I knew it was too late. Christine hung on to me, kissing me passionately back, and all I could do was responding.

_I can't believe you are doing this, Edward! You two faced bastard! Wait until Bella finds out . . . And Josh._

_Don't tell her! I'm begging you! Please!_

_It's too late. I think she knows. I think she saw you. . ._ I gasped and broke the kiss, stepping furtively back. Or rather, standing up. I was lying on top of Christine; my hands had slid under her shirt . . .

I moaned. What have I done? I rushed out of the room and went back to where Bella was sleeping. I opened the door and stepped in . . .

It was empty.


	31. Chapter 31

**Thnx 4 the reviews, guys! Sorry if this chapter has a lil bit of swearing in it, but if you read on, I think you'd understand why. R AND R!!!**

**CHAPTER 31**

I combed the forest, looking and hoping to find Bella. But she was gone. I ran back to her house and it was empty, and so was her truck. I checked the houses of Mike, Jess, Angela and all her human friends, but they were empty of any sign of Bella. I made my way through Port Angeles, hoping to find her there.

I came to a stop in front of the hotel where her friends had stayed. I stepped in, making myself invisible to the human eyes, and scanned the reception room. I saw her standing at the check-in/check-out section. A young man in his twenties maybe was flirting outrageously with her, looking up at her from behind his long eyelashes. _She _was flirting back in a way that should be illegal. It could kill someone, the way she made it look so sincere.

They both leaned toward each other, and as the reception guy started to scribble on a pad, she inclined her head slightly, smiling her best smile at him as he handed her a key with a room number. She laughed at something he said, and left a $100 bill on the desk. He picked it up and put it between the pad papers where she had signed her name. As I looked on, I saw that wherever a name was signed, money was clipped to it.  
She made her way calmly up the stairs, to her room. The number was 58, and as she fitted the key in the lock, turning away from the corridor, I lost all hope of getting her back.

But I made myself go inside, right behind her. She closed the door and sat on the bed, head in her hands, sobbing quietly. Her bag sat at her feet, and I kicked it away so I could stand directly before her. Her head snapped up when she heard the bag skidding away, and gasped. Her beautiful eyes combed the room, looking for any sign of life.

Sitting beside her, I made myself visible.

She whirled to face me, and her hand shot out fast, slapping me across the face. I hadn't stopped her, I deserved it. But God, it _hurt. _Jesus, she could slap! I gasped as I felt the pain to the very edge of my bones. My eyes kept her gaze of hurt as she stood up and walked as far away from me as possible.

"Stay away from me, you monster, you liar." She choked.

"No. what you saw was a great mistake."

"And was what you did _today _a mistake, too? Getting into her bed? With that shitless slut? I hate you, and if you don't get out _now, _I'm calling security." Her hand hovered threateningly over the phone.

"Let me explain! Bella, you can't understand what you don't know!" I said.

"What I don't know? So there's _more_? How long have you been shagging her?"

"I haven't been 'shagging' her, as you so rudely put it."

"Oh shut it, Edward. Josh was so right about you. You are a disgusting loser, who doesn't have anything better to do than hurt other people, because _you _have been hurt in the past!"

"Don't be ridiculous. You know how I feel about you-''

"Oh yeah? You want to know how I feel about you? You are a liar, I hate you, and I can't believe I ever fell for you when I _knew _something like this would happen. You wanna know why? Because nothing nice ever happens to Isabella Swan, because the last time she fell in _love _it ruined he life and she was stupid to fall for it again!" she yelled. I stood up and made my way towards her. She was crying again, tears falling down her face beautifully, vanishing without a track. Her eyes widened as she saw what I was doing. I stood in front of her, wiping away the tears. She flinched away from my touch, and it hurt me more than when she was yelling at me.

"Bella, please listen. Why would I do this to you? You know me, for crying out loud! You know how I love you and how I would never do this to you!" I whispered. She laughed humourlessly and edged away from me.

"Get out Edward. You are too late." If I were human, I would've cried, showed her the pain I was going through. But I didn't. What I did was: I turned around and left through the window, killing myself all the way.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER 32.**

_**BELLAS POV.**_

The week came and went. I didn't go to school, and stayed in the hotel room most of the time. I knew Edward would be going to school, because it was rainy and thundery and it fit my mood perfectly. Jay, the hot reception guy was nice, understanding perfectly what I was going through.

"My girlfriend did the same thing to me, you know. Only she went to bed with my best friend. And so now, I'm not talking to either one of them." He explained over breakfast the next day. It was nice going out to eat with someone who would actually touch his food. He crumpled a piece of croissant and sprinkled it over his cappuccino.

"Oh. I don't have 'best friends' unless you count my 'gang' from Phoenix, who good or bad are all boys." He laughed and his eyes crinkled at the edges. He had brown hair, with black and blonde streaks in them, and skin the colour of latte.

"Hey, Are they the guys that satyed at the hotel a few weeks ago?" he asked.

"Yeah. If the one who paid was sixteen years old, super good looking with tons of cash, and hung around with an eighteen year old guy who looked every bit as hot but with a little bit more brains, then yeah that's them." He laughed again and shook his head.

"I really don't understand why that guy, Edward, would do something so . . . disgusting to someone like you. In all my twenty years, since I started dating, I have never gone behind my girlfriends backs, and only two of them did so to me." he stared into his cappuccino and I understood what he was trying to say. Was he trying to make me like him _that _way? Believe it or not, I still wasn't over Edward, and I missed him every single bit.

"Thanks for the breakfast, Jay, but I have to go now. I'm meeting the Phoenix gang at the airport."

"They coming to stay at the hotel?" he asked. I nodded and he smiled, letting me go.

"We have to do this again, some time, Jay. I really liked talking to you."

"Sure." He said, and I left.

I caught the first bus that said _Airport _and when we got there, threw a $50 bill at the driver, telling him that he could have extra tip if he waited.

"Sure thing." He said. I got out and rushed to the waiting area, where I saw Jesse, Josh, Paul and Adam waiting for me. These plains were early! I rushed toward them and threw myself at Josh, who gave me a massive hug.

"You first, coz I love you the most." I whispered. He laughed and let me go, holding me at arms length.

"We've only been gone for a week or so and you're already happy to see us?" he laughed. Jesse gave me bone crashing hug and Paul and Adam hugged me together. I pushed them away after a while and took Josh's and Jesses hands in my own, dragging them to the taxi rank where my taxi was waiting. We squashed in and I handed a $100 bill at the driver for waiting for us. He whistled and flashed me a crooked smile. I smiled back and told him where to take us.

"So, where are we staying?" Josh asked. Just then, my phone beeped and I took it out of my pocket.

"Hello?"

"_Hey Bella! Look, this case is harder than we thought, so I have to stay here a few more weeks, OK. I deposited some money on your account so you don't have to touch your college fund anymore, OK? I have to go now. Love you."_ He hung up and a smile stretched across my face.

"Mmm, I'm staying at the hotel where you guys were staying, an I don't think Jay would mind giving you guys a room next to mine." Josh slung an arm around my shoulders and whispered in my ear,

"We have to talk about you-know-what OK? So when we get back, go to your room, and I'll meet you there."

"My number's 58."

"OK." The cab stopped in front of the hotel and we filed out. Jesse went straight to the Check-in/Check-out place, saying that he'll pay this trip. Josh scowled and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Aw, Jesse! You're robbing Joshy of his only reason to live!"

"We'll miss you Josh," he said, and we all laughed. I went up to my room and waited patiently for Josh. I checked my texts, and as I thought, I had three from Edward, two from Alice and one from Christine. How did she get my number?

The first one was: _Let me c u. please. I want 2 explain_

_I no u h8 me. I no that I wronged u, bt please let me tlk 2 u.i luv u_

_Stop acting immature and listen to me! cn u blame me? Every time I try to phone you now, your phone is off or unavailable. LISTEN TO ME. I luv u, and this is hurting me as much as it is you – you know what? I won't tell you anything else unless you call me. Or let me call you. Luv Edward xxxxxx_

Alice had written: _don't harm him. He didn't mean to hurt you, OK? Give him a chance._

_Edward is a ghost thanks to you! We talk to him and he isn't even listening! You have to make everything right, Bella._

And Christine wrote: _don't matter if you won't talk to Ed. Because WE do so much than just talk. Lay off._

I lay back on the bed, fighting back tears. I loved him, too, but I wasn't going to forgive him this easily. I am not an easy girl.

A knock sounded on the door and I yelled, "Come in!"

Josh sidled in, his face worried.

"Are you OK?" I shook my head and turned away. He lay down beside me, wrapping his arms around me and turning me round to face him.

"You know what? Lets forget about what we needed to talk about and explain why you look like you're about to cry."

"I'm not."

"Don't lie to me. You've always been bad at lying when you tried to hide something from dear old Josh." I laughed and told him what happened. He stroked my hair as I cried, whispering things in my ear and pulling me onto his chest. He stroked the hair wet from tears off my face and looked into my eyes, trying to understand what was happening to me.

"Why are you changing like this, Bella?" he whispered. I rolled off him and sat up on the bed.

"It seems like . . . I'm living through it, you know? When that thing happened with Robert, I had vowed not to fall in love again. But I did, and I'm hurt again."

"Bella, you can't help who you fall in love with." He whispered. I smiled and whispered back,

"How 'bout we go to one of the clubs in town?" he smiled and went back to get changed and tell the others.

I was going to get drunk, and have the worst hangover in the history of hangovers, _and _I will get off with some cute guy, get his number and forget about him the next day.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER 33.**

_He smelled so lovely, and looked so sexy in a pair of ripped jeans and baggy t-shirt. His face was smooth and lovely, his lips warm and nice as they ran up and down my neck . . . he kissed me and pulled me up against the wall, kissing me harder and harder. I kissed him back, running my hands down his chest, he gasped and his hands slid under my shirt._

"_Come on." He whispered to me. I kissed him harder, pushing him against me. He laughed and kissed me back. It's amazing how a double vodka and coke can get you like this! I thought. He smiled and started nibbling on my ear lobe, and I kissed his neck, running my hands everywhere they could touch._

_I moaned softly . . ._

_Edward Cullen stood at the far end of the club, staring but not seeing what was going on between Josh and Bella. He wanted to reach out and kill Josh for what he was doing to Bella . . . but on the other hand, he wanted to run, run and hide in the arms and comfort of Christine . . . in the end, he turned and left, his heart snapping and breaking apart . . ._

I woke up in my hotel room. Sitting up, I looked around and saw that the clothes I had been wearing were strewn across the room, and I was in a pair of trakkies and t-shirt. Memories from the other night flooded my hung-over mind.

I gasped and fell back against the cushions, closing my eyes against the memories. But shutting them away only made them more vivid . . .

Kissing Josh and ending up curled around each other on a sofa of a club . . .

Josh kissing me back, and running his hands over my breasts and under my shirt . . .

We were both drunk, of course. It didn't mean anything. At least, to me it didn't, but what about Josh? Did it mean something to him? And . . . something else . . . someone else . . .

Edward had been in the same club, and he had saw me kissing Josh . . . what have I done?? I was a slut. I had turned into a Christine clone. I cried until someone knocked gently on my room door.

"Come in." I choked. Josh walked in, looking embarrassed and out of place. He saw me crying and rushed to my side, taking me into his arms, and stroking my hair. When I had calmed down, he whispered, "Last night . . ."

"Oh Josh, what have I done? Edward was there last night and . . ." josh held me tighter and kissed the top of my head.

"It's OK. I'll talk to him, yeah?"

"No." I wailed, "I've ruined everything! I'm such and idiot, a slut!"

"Ssh. I'll talk to him and make things right. It's OK, love. Don't worry. I'm sorry about last night, I don't know what got into me . . . thank God you pushed me off when we got here, or God knows what would've happened."

"I pushed you away?"

"Yes, you said something like, 'I love Edward, this ain't right.' It was a little slurred and stuff, but I still understood."

"Why did it happen?" I asked, truly baffled. I looked up at him, and saw that he was smiling down at me.

"Because . . . Urgh, I don't know how to phrase it . . . I always liked you, as . . ._ more _than just a friend. Why else would I get off with all those pretty girls and then tell you about it? I wanted to make you jealous, that's why. Since I met you I felt . . . like you could understand me, more than the guys did. What I'm trying to say is, I've fancied you and still fancy you. I don't know if it's love yet, but I do know that whenever you need me, I'll be there. Why else would you be the only girl in our gang? I wanted to see of other girls would try and back off, or try to make you jealous, so then I could step in and tell you how I felt . . ." I started to cry again, and he rocked me gently, muttering things of comfort.

Josh left at about noon, saying he'd go down to the Cullen place and put things right. My mind hadn't registered yet what he had said. I loved him, too, but would I be able to go on as if nothing happened? The thought of kissing him sent pleasant shivers down my spine, making me close my eyes and drown in the memory of the other night,

Somebody had alerted Jay about my hangover, because he came up, a tray laden with water and damp cloths to rest on my forehead.

"Oh Jay, you're the best." I croaked. My voice sounded like it was sandpaper rubbing against rock. Jay laughed and set the tray on my bedside table, handing me the glass of water.

"You gonna be OK? Only I have to get back down to reception."

"Yeah, I'm gonna be fine." He smiled and left.

I fell asleep and my dreams were empty. Mostly, I dreamed about what happened in the week.

Edward kissing Christine. ..

Josh kissing me . . .

Me kissing josh . . .

The texts . . .

Josh saying he liked me more than he liked just a friend . . .

I woke up feeling a teensy bit better. At least the thumping headache had gone; leaving me feeling like somebody had run me over with a tram.

"Bella?" somebody whispered. My eyes flew open and I stared into the eyes of the most beautiful being in the world.

Edward smiled as he saw me, and wrapped me up into his strong stone cold arms.


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER 34**

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

Even though Bella had kissed Josh, I didn't feel the anger I should've felt. When Josh himself showed up at the door of my home, Isaac had opened and his voice had carried through to the living room.

"Josh? Watcha doing here?" I had gotten up and walked purposefully toward the hallway. I had intended to go up to Josh and smack some sense into him, but when I had got to the door and saw how bad Josh was feeling, I instantly calmed down.

His thoughts yelled, _I wish I could break down and cry! Shit, I've been such an idiot! Why did I tell her? Why did I do this to her? I hurt her and BAM! She was so good at making you feel guilty. That kiss was . . . amazing. Well, those kisses were amazing . . ._

I smiled at him and led him towards the living room. He had shied away at first when he sat down, when I tried to talk to him. Carlisle was in the kitchen, doing some more research on why I was such a monster when anger overtook me. Christine and I had been sitting on the sofa. She had been trying to coax me back into her room, but I pushed her away.

"Edward, er, what you saw last night was-''

"It's OK. I know." I cut him off. He blushed slightly as I stared at him, and he looked up at me, his hair falling over his eyes.

"Oh."

"Look, I did a far worse thing than kissing, right? I slept with someone I don't even like, and I think that that's the worse thing somebody could ask for." Josh blushed and nodded. _Huh, I've slept with so many people I hardly know or don't like I can't even keep count! _He thought. His eyes snapped back up at me.

"Tell me you did _not _just hear that." He muttered, embarrassed.

"Er, I'm afraid I did."

"Damn you and your mind reading." He hissed.

"I don't hate you for what happened, Josh, so don't think I'm punishing you by reading your mind. It's just comes on automatically." I explained.

"Huh. Listen, I came here for Bella. She's sorry about what happened but couldn't come down herself because of a hangover. If you ever had one for the first time, you'd know what I mean." Josh laughed, "Anyway, she says she's sorry and can you forgive her? Edward, I know what you feel right now, and I know that you might dislike her for doing so to you, but," he spread his arms wide and indicted himself, "it was my fault, so if you feel like killing someone, kill me." I looked at him and then away. Maybe if I _did _hurt him, then Bella would understand the pain? On the other hand, if I hurt him, I knew I was going to kill him. Instead, I laughed and said,

"Josh, it's OK. I don't hate you . . . or Bella. You guys were drunk, and alcohol can make people do things that are . . . out of control." I got up and Josh followed, letting himself out, a smile on his lips.

And that's how I ended up in Bella's room, kissing the life out of her.

_**JOSH'S POV**_

I've always been an arse, and I have always had a soft spot for Bella, but to the point of telling her? That was so . . . crazy, weird, and stupid, out of control! I loved the way she kissed, I loved the way she ran her hands up and down my body, and I loved the way she moaned when you kissed her neck and nibbled her ear . . .

So when I found her crying in her room, it ripped me apart, and I did the most stupid thing I could think of.

I went and put things right between her and Edward.

Now tell me. What kind of playboy/ Casanova guy, goes and put things right between the girls he likes and their should-be ex? I'll tell you who. NO ONE. All capitals.

So now, I'm lying on my bed, a few doors away from Bella, and thinking about her and Edward. She deserved someone like him. 'Course she did, but I might be able to . . . give her what Edward can't and won't. I could give her a life full of love – until death divides us – and I would age with her, and not leave her behind. But if she decided to . . . spend the rest of her life with Edward, then what would happen? She would age, and one day die, and he would never be able to see her happy, and age with her!

When I went over to Edwards' place, I saw this good-looking girl checking me out. It's amazing how people – or vampires – can try and make it look subtle, but I caught her out. When I say she was good looking, I mean really, good looking. She looked like one of those models of _vogue _in real life. Slim, full lips, lovely eyes, long blonde curly hair . . . the lot. But she seemed to b in awe of Edward, and I know I must've interrupted _something _between them, coz when I came in she looked annoyed. I knew that whatever it is she wanted him to do had been turned down.

Edward was good-looking. Thank God, he didn't go to Phoenix High or my reputation would've gone down the drain. And that's how I understood how Bella wouldn't want to let him go for anything in the world! If I were gay, I would've gone for him, too . . .

Damn, Jesse just asked if I wanna go out and drown my 'sorrow' in alcohol.

Girls of Port Angeles, here I come!


	35. Chapter 35

**Thx, everybody 4 ur reviews!! I really appreciate what you have to say about my work. I hope you like this chapter.**

**WARNING: it might be long, and there might be a bit of swearing. That's why it's rated T.**

**R AND R!!!**

**CHAPTER 35.**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

Going back to school was like going into hell after a visit from God. It felt all out of place, and I started to miss my old school back in Phoenix more than ever. Josh and the gang had left early on Sunday afternoon. I had kissed Josh goodbye on the cheek and he had blushed. Weirdly enough, no one suspected a thing about Josh's closeness to me the past few days. What made it _weirder_ was that he had no girls over to stay at his room after our little . . . er, _encounter _that Friday night.

He must've bought there silence. I knew Isaac knew coz Edward had told him via his thoughts. Not that he w_anted _to or anything but . . . it was weird that one of my friends outside Josh knew something about it.

Isaac had enrolled at our high school – being the only school in the whole of Forks – and was in most of my classes. Well, OK. He was in _all _of my classes. Edward was in my Bio and English and that's about it . . . but Isaac was in my Bio, Spanish, English . . . blah blah blah.

Poor Isaac, I felt so sorry for him. He had it good in Phoenix, being part of a gang and always up to no good – like me. But, again like me, he might find it hard here. Forks students weren't so friendly if you were on the side of Jessica Stanley, or Lauren Mallroy. If you weren't on their side then you were too dumb to be any good on any side.

The Christmas term had flown by, and Charlie hadn't been home to celebrate it with me. He had been in Seattle, working on a case of something or other. Renee had been too busy in Florida with her new husband Phil, to even _call. _So I ended up spending most of the day with Edward as we shopped in Seattle – away from my father's eyes hehe. Well, to say the truth, Edward spent loads of money on me and I fought with him. I didn't _want _him spending money on me. We were an already out of balance couple and if he threw any other gifts and stuff on top, we were always more and more out of balance. He had bought me a lovely gold chain with a crystal heart fit in one of the links. It shone a thousand colours if you tilted it at a certain angle, and I had promised never to take it off. He bought me clothes, DVD's, shoes, jewellery . . . anything I showed him he bought. At the end of the day, I had six bags in each hand and Edward had three. I couldn't buy much coz Charlie wasn't sending down so much money as before, but I bought what I could.

I got him a lovely sweater that he liked, that bought out the colour of his eyes. When we walked into a café, loads of girls were staring at him, and I was happy to know that he had chosen _me._

So, dear reader, you might understand the feeling of dread as I opened the double doors leading into Forks High Schools hallway. Charlie had said that the house was safe for me to live in, and I had changed into a top that Edward bought me for Christmas and a pair of Black jeans with a chain like belt that Alice got me. I was getting along pretty well with the Cullen's, especially Alice. After the texts she had sent me in the Christmas term, she had apologized and we made up. Edward was still careful around me when Christine was around.

"They won't be leaving anytime soon, Bella." He had informed me the day of my atrocious hangover. Christine was the Queen Bitch of Bitchville as always and had done her best to make me fight with Edward, but I was having none of it and she knew it.

Edward was waiting for me inside, pretending he could feel cold to not put his family through difficulty. He smiled when he saw me and came to my side. I was shivering uncontrollably. For once, I wanted what he had; I wanted to be one of _them._ I had forced him into the conversation once during the Christmas hols, but he brushed it away, repeating what he had said all those months ago, "Hon, we are _not _having this conversation. Not now, not ever." It always surprised me when he called me 'honey'. Because I was anything _but _honey. I was the 'Devil in Prada' as Alice once described me. Edward had gone crazy in Seattle and bought me a pair of fabulous Prada leather boots; black, to fit my jeans. They had cost a fortune, I knew, but he wouldn't tell me _how _much. No matter how much I kissed him, he wouldn't say a _word._

Talk about unfair.

"How's my favourite girl?" he whispered in my ear.

"Hopefully, I'm your _only _girl." I whispered. He laughed and hugged me tightly. He kissed me for a full five minutes before Emmett yelled,

"OK, guys! Enough! Time out!" slashing his arms in a crossway motion. Edward rolled his eyes and smiled at me, making a rude gesture with his middle finger at Emmett who laughed. I laughed, too, and kissed him again.

"You cold?" he asked.

"Yep. For once, I can't wait to sit in my seat in English. The radiator is my secret lover." He laughed again and pushed me in the general direction of our English class, which was empty except for Isaac talking to the teacher.

"Swan! Cullen! Get down here; I want you to meet the new student to this school. Isaac Grey from Phoenix. Bella, you and him have something in common, yes?" I nodded and pretended to meet him for the first time. Isaac winked behind the teachers back as he sorted through the seating plan.

"Swan, Cullen, is it OK if young Isaac here joins your table?" he asked. We nodded and I dragged him to our desk at the back of the class, collapsing against the radiator and smiling up at Edward.

Isaac looked as out of place as I had when I first started here.

"Hey, Edward! Aren't you going to threaten _him _like you did to me when I first started here?" I asked, punching his shoulder playfully and getting bruised knuckles in return. Edward laughed as I blew on them, trying to stop the pain that was running up and down my arm.

"Aw, don't be like that. I did it for _you. _Alice had told me what might happen if we two became . . . friends. But threats mean nothing to you." He added smiling.

Isaac laughed and said, "Huh, I remember when Amelia said to back off her 'boyfriend or she'd slit you open and you laughed in her face saying, 'how do you think I'm after you boyfriend?' and she went 'I don't think, I _know._'" I laughed and finished the sentence for him, "' I don't think I _know_, either'" it had been the phrase of the week.

Edward laughed and squeezed my hand. Isaac spotted a girl he liked enter the class, and tuned out, giving the girl flitting glances. They were subtle, which was good. Forks girls don't like to be stared at unless the guy who is staring is her boyfriend or someone she likes. I looked and saw who he was staring at; Edward followed my gaze and smirked.

Isaac was staring at Lauren Mallroy. Poor guy.

Don't forget 2 R and R!!! next chapter will be up soon . . . you know how quick I am updating!! ;)


	36. Chapter 36

**I hope u like this chapter. Don't forget to R and R! This story is nearly finished, so I am working on a new one called YOU LEVAE ME SPEECHLEES. If you're interested, check it out and leave a review behind)**

**CHAPTER 35.**

"I love you, Edward Cullen." I whispered to him that night. He had let down some of his boundaries and allowed me to take his shirt off. In return, I let him sidle into my bed. I knew he'd alert me if Charlie were waking up.

"I'm helpless around you Bella. I love you, too." He kissed me, and bought the kiss further, so he landed on top of me. He was careful not to crush me, as I kissed him back. But – sadly – that's all we did.

That was the night from Hell.

I woke up feeling unnaturally cold, and my body was stiff, my clothes were soaked through. I sat up and saw that Edward had gone . . .

Understatement. _Everything was gone. _My room, my new stuff – Edward had bought me a brilliant laptop, I told you he's crazy – basically, the whole house was just . . . _gone._

I stood up and looked around. I saw that I was somewhere in the woods, far away from home. I couldn't hear the cars on the road, and I could barely hear the sound of the river. Something clicked in my mind. A single word and a single name.

Christine. Slut.

I smelt her sweet scent all over me. I wasn't wearing much. Just my trakkies and a baggy t-shirt, the same stuff I had been wearing the night before.

I started to panic. I walked quickly around, waiting for a sound, _any _sound.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!!_ That's all I could think of. In how much SHIT I was. I walked around in circles, trying to find a way out.

I twig snapped and I whirled to face the source of the sound. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn't scream, run, or just call out for help.

Nobody would hear.

The big russet coloured wolf stepped out of the trees, its eyes round and sad. It came to lie in front of me, and I kneeled, kissing its long fur and whispering, "You came back! I can't believe you came back!" the wolf rumbled happily.

I recalled that this wasn't the first time he came when I was in trouble or just plain lonely. The wolf appeared to have read my mind, because it looked up at me with those beautiful eyes of his and nuzzled my stomach.

"Yeah, wolf, I'm hungry and lonely and . . . scared." the wolf looked up at me with sad eyes and I smiled. I stroked his fur, thinking crazily about a way out. Howling came from deep in the forest – funny how I could know it was deep in the forest when I had no idea where I was.

I wanted to scream and call for Edward, but as I searched my pockets, I felt they were empty.

My phone was gone, my purse was gone, and so was everything else. The bitch had abandoned me in the forest with nothing!

I lay back onto the grass and choked back the tears. Edward would be here. He would come looking for me, of course he will.

I yelped as the wolf bit my arm.

"Hey! What you playing at??" I yelled. The wolf rumbled and nipped at my arm again. This time though, it caught me around the arms and slung me onto its back. I shrieked and tried to get off, but the wolf was running through the forest. If I jumped now, I would break a hell of a lot of bones! I held on tight as we slashed through branches and bushes. A piece of tree cut my arm and I gritted my teeth together, blanking out the pain.

The river came into view, and I yelled, "Stop! STOP! Don't you _dare_!" too late. The wolf jumped into the river, spraying droplets of freezing water all over me. I yelped again as the droplets of water became a torrent. By the time we made it to the other side, my shirt was halfway see through and my trousers stuck to me, freezing into place. My teeth chattered uncontrollably, and I felt numb all way round. The wolf sped through the remaining forest, breaking through into the rain when we approached outside land. I looked up, shivering, to where he had carried me.

I saw a big white mansion, and then I blacked out.

_**EDWARDS POV.**_

I took Bella to my house.

That's right. I'm the big wolf that comforted Bella when she'd been alone. Carlisle finally found out what was wrong with me and why my temper turned into something so scary.

When Carlisle had turned me in to one of them, I had been previously attacked by a man. Our blood had mixed, and I had turned halfway between werewolf and vampire. That's how I caught the influenza.

It wasn't really influenza. I was changing, and all the medicines they gave me had stopped me from turning into a full werewolf. Carlisle had bit me, and I turned into a vampire.

So I was a vampire/werewolf.

It's as crazy as that. I wanted to yell, and smash things up. I wanted to scream and hurt somebody – possibly the man that had turned me into such a monster. I had run into the forest and let the 'animal' instincts take over, turning me into a massive _**dog. **_I was disgusted at myself, but when I found Bella in the woods . . . she loved the big wolf, so I made myself go to her and make her happy.

She was out cold by the time we got home. Her lips were tinged with blue and I changed quickly. I was soaked through but couldn't feel the cold. I kissed her lips, bringing back some colour to her cheeks, and carried her inside.

I took her to my room and laid her down, covering with as many blankets as I could find. She was shivering all over the place, so I turned the heater in my room on maximum and closed the door.

I went for the kill.

"CHRISTINE!" I yelled.

"What?" she appeared at the end of the corridor, her blonde curls falling over one shoulder.

"What are you playing at you stupid bitch?" I grabbed her arms and shook her.

"Huh? What you on about?"

"You took Bella out in the middle of the night to a forest and LEFT.HER.THERE?" I punctuated every word with a slam of a fist on the balustrade.

She looked scared, and Carlisle came up the stairs to see what the commotion was about. I had left a great dent on the railing.

"Stay away from Bella, and me. You got it?" she nodded her head, and her lower lip trembled. I knew her game, but I didn't want to play.

I turned and stalked from the corridor, down the stairs and out of the house into the back garden. I fell to my knees and looked up at the sky. One day, Bella would be one of those shining stars.

My mother used to tell me how all the people we loved that had died, became one of the stars, there souls shining out to guide us. I always imagined my mother as the brightest, most beautiful star in the sky.

I felt Christine come out after me and I growled.

"I'm sorry Edward."

"Go away."

"Edward, listen!"

"If you don't go away, I'll make you." I murmured. She left, leaving the familiar scent behind.

Carlisle came out next. I knew he had visited Bella.

"Edward, she isn't good. She's . . ."

"Dying." I whispered.

"I'm afraid so. She had caught pneumonia when she had been left outside by . . . Christine. You splashing through the water didn't help. There's only one option left-''

"No. no, Carlisle. Please, anything but that." I begged. I couldn't. I WOULDN'T. It was going to be too hard. What if . . .

"Edward, she'll die otherwise. I don't want Chief Swan to come home and find her daughter dead and I . . . want you to be happy. I don't want you to die right behind her, Edward. I know how it feels to lose someone you love." My whole body racked as unshed tears fought there way to the surface. Carlisle wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair, murmuring, "Ssh, it's OK. I'm here, it's OK, everything is going to be fine."

I sobbed, and tears flowed down my cheeks. I touched the wet tracks and looked at my wet fingers, amazed by how human I looked. And felt.

I stood up and went to my room, where Bella lay.


	37. Chapter 37

**CHAPTER 37.**

I watched her sleeping form dreading every breath she took, thinking it could be her last one. I kneeled by her bed, stroking her hair and murmuring nonsense in her ear, all the way tears trickled down my face. At the end, I gave up and sobbed into her too-cold shoulders. Christine had killed her. At the end, she did it.

The whole family came in behind me. Emmett stood behind me, a comforting hand on my shoulder. Tanya was yelling at Christine outside the room.

Bella gasped and groaned in pain. Carlisle jumped forward and shook my shoulder.

"Edward, do it! Do it now before it is too late!" he hissed.

"I c-can't. No."

"Do it. Or I will." He begged. I shook my head again and he slapped me once round the head. I yelped and fell back.

"Don't be an idiot, boy! If you love this girl, then you would help her through this. As I said, I don't want you dying right after her."

I shook my head and touched Bella's hand. She yelped again as something in her body ached. My mind showed me memories after memories of our time together.

"_I love you Edward" . . ._

"_I know you don't like me, so let's do something. We only talk to each other when we need help in this boring class, OK?" . . ._

"_Look Bella, if I tell you it'll be a type of danger you have never encountered, OK? It will be more dangerous than joy riding with Jesse-''. . ._

Lying on that bed, Bella looked so . . . helpless. And I suddenly wanted her back.

I looked at Carlisle and he smiled, stepping back and ushering everyone out of the room.

I looked at Bella as emotions of pain flitted across her perfect features, and I brushed away the hair that was covering her neck.

I opened my mouth and sank my venom coated teeth into her perfect white neck . . . poison flowed out of my mouth as her blood made it's entrance. I bit harder, driving as much anger into it as I could.

She screamed. Her eyes flew open and the searched the room for something . . . someone . . . me.

She flung her arms around my neck as she screamed, and I cried with her. Her eyes paled and glassed over, but the screams of pain would not stop. She dug her nails into my skin and hit me as hard as she could.

"Edward! Edward! Stop this, please!" she cried, tears running down her face. I grabbed her into my arms and held her in place as she twisted and writhed against the pain. I buried my face in her hair and cried.

Her body wouldn't stop writhing and twisting as she screamed. She cried and called my name, called her father, called for Josh, Jesse, Isaac . . . she called everyone she could, her weak arms tightening there hold on me.

Isaac stood in front of the window, ripping at his hair before disappearing.

Emmett sat on the sofa, covering his ears with his hands.

Rosalie ran out and into the forest, away from the circle of pain she felt.

Alice cried.

Jasper tried to calm everybody with his powers, but ended up by hurting himself. . .

I lay in a heap on the floor, Bella in my arms.

The screaming had stopped, and so had the writhing.

She lay limply in my arms, like a used rag doll.

Had I killed her? Had more venom than necessary entered her angel like body and killed her?

Her eyes flew open, and her mouth uttered three words.

"Edward you bastard."


	38. Chapter 38

**CHAPTER 38.**

_**BELLA'S POV.**_

Waking up, I saw everything through different eyes.

Had I died?

I saw Edward crying over me, and I realised what he had done.

"Edward you bastard" I whispered. He stared at me in shock before wrapping me in his arms, crushing me to his chest and kissing the life lout of me.

But my life had already gone.

This is what I had always wanted. To become one of them, and now that I was . . .

I kissed him back, and pressed myself hard against him, whispering,

"You bastard." He shushed me and kept on kissing me, even after the whole family – including Christine – had come into the room.

Everybody looked on, as Edward said he loved me. I said those three words that I knew made his heart soar.

**TWO YEARS LAETER.**

"**Bella, come on! We're gonna be late!" Alice yelled.**

**Edward walked into the room, his chest bare and the only item of clothing he was wearing was a pair of ripped jeans. He smiled sexily at me and whispered, "Don't go, honey. Stay with me." he kissed my neck. I shivered and fell into his arms.**

**We had just made love, and Alice wanted to go shopping with me for my wedding dress.**

**That is right. I was getting married! With Edward Cullen! I kissed him back and pushed him off as he tried to lead me back to the big bed.**

**Christine had been banished from the family, and so had Tanya.**

**Charlie had never come back from Seattle. He had fallen in love with a woman called Lola and decided to stay there with her.**

**My friends from Phoenix? Only Josh knew that I had become a vampire, and that I was getting married. He was invited, but he didn't want to come, just in case he 'would get drunk and do something stupid'. We still phoned and he moaned about going to bed with a girl he didn't like, blah blah blah.**

**I kissed Edward quickly and ran down the stairs, bumping into Emmett on the way.**

**Alice was waiting as per usual, at the door. When she saw me, she squealed,**

"**You ready??"**

"**Hell yeah!"**

**And we were off, running into the sunset.**

**What had life hidden away from me next?**

**More life and love, I hoped ;)**


End file.
